ニート

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

NEET; young person not in education, employment, or training

usually written using kana alone

A social/economic label for a young person who is neither studying, working, nor in vocational training. It can sound blunt or stigmatizing depending on context.

大だい学がくをやめてから、彼かれはしばらくニートだった。
After leaving university, he was a NEET for a while.
自じ治ち体たいはニートの就しゅう労ろう支し援えんに力ちからを入いれている。
The local government is focusing on employment support for NEETs.

See all 16 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

ニートになるto become a NEET
大だい学がくを中ちゅう退たいしてからニートになってしまった。
After dropping out of university, he ended up becoming a NEET.
ニート生せい活かつを送おくるto live the life of a NEET
彼かれはもう三さん年ねんもニート生せい活かつを送おくっている。
He has been living as a NEET for three years now.
ニートから脱だっ出しゅつするto escape from being a NEET
彼かの女じょはアルバイトを始はじめてニートから脱だっ出しゅつした。
She got out of her NEET status by starting a part-time job.
〈数すう〉万まん人にんのニートX million/thousand NEETs (used in statistics)
日本にほんには約やく六ろく十じゅう万まん人にんのニートがいると言いわれている。
It is said that there are about 600,000 NEETs in Japan.

Related words

無む職しょくN3
無職 simply means being unemployed or without an occupation of any age, while ニート specifically labels young people who are neither working, studying, nor training.
フリーターN3
フリーター refers to someone who works mainly part-time or casual jobs, whereas a ニート is not working, studying, or training at all.
失しつ業ぎょう者しゃN1
失業者 describes someone who lost a job and is typically seeking new work, while ニート does not necessarily imply prior employment or active job hunting.

Don't confuse with

引ひきこもり
引きこもり describes someone who has withdrawn from social contact and rarely leaves home, while ニート focuses on economic status (not working/studying/training) regardless of social withdrawal.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Written forms

ニートUsage95%
Standard katakana spelling; usually written in kana.
ＮＥＥＴUsage5%
Attested full-width Latin-letter acronym spelling, but everyday Japanese normally writes this as ニート.

Etymology

The term corresponds to the acronym NEET, expanded in the English gloss as “not in education, employment or training.” In Japanese it is normally written in katakana as ニート.