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西暦 (せいれき, seireki) Japanese meaning: Common Era | Kotomora

西せい暦れき

せ

い

れ

き

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

Common Era; CE; AD

Refers to the year-numbering system starting from the traditionally calculated birth year of Jesus. Used in dates, historical contexts, and when distinguishing from Japanese era names.

西暦せいれきにせんに2024年じゅうよねんは令れい和わ6年ねんです。

The year 2024 CE is Reiwa 6.

この遺い跡せきは西せい暦れき800年ねん頃ごろのものだ。

These ruins date from around 800 CE.

2

Western calendar; Gregorian calendar

Refers to the calendar system itself, as opposed to the Japanese traditional era-name system or other calendars. Often used when specifying date formats.

履り歴れき書しょには西せい暦れきで生せい年ねん月がっ日ぴを書かいてください。
Please write your date of birth using the Western calendar on your résumé.

Usage patterns

西せい暦れき〈数すう〉年ねんthe year [number] CE/AD
この寺てらは西せい暦れき７世せい紀きに建たてられた。
This temple was built in the 7th century CE.
西せい暦れきで言いうとin terms of the Western calendar
令れい和わ６年ねんはせは西暦いれきでいうとにで言せんにじゅうと２０２４年よねんです。
Reiwa 6 corresponds to 2024 in the Western calendar.
西せい暦れきから〈数すう〉を引ひくto subtract [a number] from the Western year (to convert to the Japanese era)
令れい和わの年ねん数すうは西せい暦れきから２０１８を引ひいて計けい算さんする。

Kanji

西west, Spain
暦calendar, almanac

Related words

紀き元げんN1
西暦 specifically means the Western (Gregorian) calendar year, while 紀元 refers more broadly to an era or the starting point from which years are counted.
ＡＤ
西暦 is the standard Japanese term for the Common Era system, while ＡＤ is the English abbreviation sometimes used alongside it.

Opposites

和わ暦れき sense 1
西暦 is the Western Gregorian year-numbering system, while 和暦 is the Japanese era-name calendar (e.g., Reiwa 6).

Don't confuse with

元げん号ごうN1sense 1
西暦 refers to the Western calendar's year numbers, whereas 元号 is the Japanese era name (like 令和) used within the 和暦 system, not the Western one.
年ねん号ごうN1
年号 refers to a Japanese era name like 令和 or 平成, while 西暦 refers to the Western/Gregorian calendar year such as 2026.

Word family

西せい暦れき２０００にせん年ねん問もん題だい
Y2K problem; year 2000 problem

Etymology

From 西 (western) + 暦 (calendar), a straightforward compound referring to the Western calendar system.

The Reiwa year is calculated by subtracting 2018 from the Western year.