未み成せい年ねん

み

せ

い

ね

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

minor; underage person; being under age

Refers either to a person who has not reached legal adulthood or to the state/category of being under age. Often used before の, as in 未成年の飲酒 or 未成年の子ども.

彼かれはまだ未み成せい年ねんなので、親

おや

の

同どう

意い

が

必ひつ

要よう

だ

。

He is still a minor, so parental consent is required.

未み成せい年ねんの飲いん酒しゅは法ほう律りつで禁きんじられている。

Drinking by minors is prohibited by law.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉は未み成せい年ねんだsomeone is a minor
彼かれはまだ未み成せい年ねんだ。
He is still a minor.
未み成せい年ねんの〈事こと〉underage (drinking, smoking, etc.)
未み成せい年ねんの飲いん酒しゅは法ほう律りつで禁きん止しされている。
Drinking by minors is prohibited by law.
未み成せい年ねんに〈物もの〉を売うるto sell something to a minor
未み成せい年ねんにたばこを売うってはいけない。
You must not sell tobacco to minors.

Kanji

未un-, not yet, hitherto
成turn into, become, get
年year, counter for years

Related words

未み成せい年ねん者しゃ
未成年 refers to the legal status of not yet being an adult, while 未成年者 specifically names the person who has that status.

Opposites

成せい年ねんN1
成年 is the legal status of having reached adulthood, the direct opposite of 未成年 (being under age).
成せい人じんN3
成人 means an adult in a broader, person-focused sense, while 未成年 is the narrower legal term for someone who has not yet reached that status.

Don't confuse with

少しょう年ねんN3
少年 just means 'boy' or 'juvenile' in a general sense, whereas 未成年 is the precise legal category of being under the age of majority.

Word family

未み成せい年ねん者しゃ
minor; underage person

Built from

未み+成せい年ねん

Etymology

Sino-Japanese compound: 未 means 'not yet' and 成年 means 'adulthood' or 'legal majority', giving the sense 'not yet adult/major'.