年中
also: ねんちゅう · ねんぢゅう
Meanings
whole year; all year round; throughout the year
Refers to the entire year as a span of time. Common in expressions such as 年中無休 and 年中を通して.
This store is open all year round.
In Okinawa, you can enjoy flowers throughout the year.
always; all the time; perpetually
Only with reading ねんじゅう / ねんぢゅう
Adverbial use meaning that something happens constantly or very frequently, often with a mildly critical or casual tone depending on context.
He is always looking at his phone.
My little brother is constantly saying he is hungry.
during an era; within the years of an era
Limited historical or document-style use, typically after an era name or period name to mean 'during that era'. Not the everyday sense of 'always'.
If it says 'built during the Kansei era,' it means it was built in the years of the Kansei era.
second-year kindergarten student; middle-year kindergarten child
Only with reading ねんちゅう
Read ねんちゅう. In the context of Japanese kindergarten or preschool classes, 年中 refers to the middle class, between 年少 and 年長; it is not a general word for any second-year student.
My daughter moved up to the middle kindergarten class this year.
The middle-year kindergarten children are playing in the schoolyard.
Usage patterns
- 年中〈動詞〉ているto be doing something all the time (habitually, often with mild complaint)
He's constantly fiddling with his phone.
- 年中を通して〈事〉throughout the year, something happens or is available
Events are held at this facility throughout the year.
- 〈人〉は年中さんto be a middle-year kindergartner
My child is in the middle class at kindergarten.
- 年中〈形容詞〉to always be in a certain state
This shop is busy all the time.
Expressions
- 年がら年中all year round; all the time; year in and year out