年ねん々ねん

also: としどし

ね

ん

ね

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes a gradual change or recurring event happening each year. Often used with verbs of increase, decrease, or change.

年々ねんねん〈動詞どうし〉to [verb] more and more with each passing year
人じん口こうが年ねん々ねん減へっている。
The population is decreasing year by year.
年々ねんねん〈形容詞けいようし〉になるになるto become more [adjective] year by year
冬ふゆは年ねん々ねん寒さむくなっている気きがする。
It feels like winters are getting colder year by year.

毎まい年としN5
毎年 simply states that something happens every year, while 年々 highlights a gradual increase, decrease, or change over successive years.
逐ちく年ねん
逐年 is a stiff, written synonym of 年々 meaning 'year by year', rarely heard in casual conversation.

年々Usage99%
- ねんねん
  Standard kanji spelling; the most frequent written form.
- としどし
年年Usage1%
- ねんねん
  Non-repetition kanji variant; less common but still seen.
- としどし
としどし
Kun'yomi reading; used as an adverb, often in spoken or informal contexts.

Reduplication of 年 (ねん, 'year'), forming an adverb meaning 'year by year'. The kun'yomi reading としどし is a reduplication of 年 (とし).

Usage patterns

年々ねんねん〈動詞どうし〉to [verb] more and more with each passing year

人じん口こうが年ねん々ねん減へっている。

The population is decreasing year by year.

年々ねんねん〈形容詞けいようし〉になるになるto become more [adjective] year by year

冬ふゆは年ねん々ねん寒さむくなっている気きがする。

It feels like winters are getting colder year by year.

Written forms

年々Usage99%

年年Usage1%

としどし

Kun'yomi reading; used as an adverb, often in spoken or informal contexts.