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新年 (しんねん, shinnen) Japanese meaning: New Year | Kotomora

新しん年ねん

し

ん

ね

ん

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

New Year; the new year

Refers to the new year as a time period, often used in greetings, resolutions, and seasonal expressions. Can function as a noun or adverbially.

新しん年ねんあけましておめでとうございます。

Happy New Year.

新しん年ねんの抱ほう負ふを立たてる。

I make New Year's resolutions.

Usage patterns

新しん年ねんを迎むかえるto welcome/greet the new year
家か族ぞくで新しん年ねんを迎むかえる準じゅん備びをした。
We prepared to welcome the new year together as a family.
新しん年ねんの挨あい拶さつをするto give New Year's greetings
上じょう司しに新しん年ねんの挨あい拶さつをした。
I gave my boss New Year's greetings.
新しん年ねん会かいを開ひらくto hold a New Year's party
会かい社しゃで新しん年ねん会かいを開ひらいた。
The company held a New Year's party.
新しん年ねんの抱ほう負ふを語かたるto talk about one's resolutions for the new year
テレビで新しん年ねんの抱ほう負ふを語かたった。
She talked about her New Year's resolutions on TV.

Expressions

新しん年ねんになるthe New Year begins; the New Year starts

Kanji

新new
年year, counter for years

Related words

正しょう月がつN4
正月 refers specifically to the New Year's holiday period in early January, while 新年 is the broader idea of 'the new year' as a time concept.
新しん春しゅん
新春 is a more literary, seasonal word for the New Year often used in greeting cards, while 新年 is the plain, general term.
年ねん始しN1
年始 emphasizes the very beginning of the year (as in year-start greetings or business), whereas 新年 refers to the new year more generally.
年とし明あけ
新年 is the formal term for "the New Year" itself, while 年明け specifically points to the short period right after it starts.

Opposites

旧きゅう年ねん
旧年 means 'the old/previous year' and is used in formal contrast to 新年, 'the new year'.

Don't confuse with

年とし越こし
新年 refers to the New Year period after it has begun, whereas 年越し focuses on the transition from the old year into the new one.

Word family

忘ぼう新しん年ねん会かい
year-end and New Year parties
新しん年ねん早そう々そう
at the very beginning of the New Year; early in the New Year

Etymology

Compound of 新 (new) and 年 (year). The reading is on'yomi, and the word has been used in Japanese for centuries to denote the new year.