年 — Year
Tap any reading below to hear native Japanese pronunciation
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Start 7-Day Free Trial →Visually Similar Lookalike Kanji
Learners often mix up 年 (Year) with these lookalike characters. Tap a tile to see how their visual mnemonics differ:
5-Second Distinction Rule (牛 (Cow) vs 午 (Noon) vs 年 (Year)): 牛 (vertical horn pokes ABOVE the top bar = Cow) • 午 (vertical line stops FLAT at the top bar = Noon) • 年 (extra horizontal steps across the calendar = Year).
Common Japanese Words with 年 (Year)
Tap any word below to hear native Japanese pronunciation and see how the constituent kanjis combine:
Year (年) expressed as a noun.
The past (去) year (年) is simply last year.
Every (毎) year (年) literally means every year.
The year (年) that is yet to come (来) is next year.
When one year (年) acts as a substitute (代) for another in a long sequence, it forms an era.
The passing of years (年) and moons (months) (月) represents months and years.
The interval (間) of a year (年) is just a year.
Frequently Asked Questions About 年 (Year)
What is the best kanji mnemonic for 年 (Year)?
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The Shibashi Japanese kanji mnemonic for 年 ("Year", read as ねん) is: Ms. Toe-shi (とし), always wearing linen (ねん), makes every year fun for us... Using visual kanji mnemonics that combine the character's radicals, meaning, and reading into a single illustrated scene makes 年 effortless to recall.
What does the kanji 年 mean and how is it read in Japanese?
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The Japanese kanji 年 means "Year". Its primary reading is ねん (On'yomi: ねん; Kun'yomi: とし). Our Japanese kanji mnemonics tie the reading directly into the visual story so you remember both the meaning and pronunciation together.
What are common Japanese words and compounds with 年?
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Essential Japanese vocabulary words containing 年 include: 年 (とし - year), 去年 (きょねん - last year), 毎年 (まいとし - every year), 来年 (らいねん - next year).
How do Japanese kanji mnemonics help you remember 年 (Year) faster?
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Traditional rote stroke repetition fades quickly. Shibashi's Japanese kanji mnemonics turn 年 (Year) and its shared visual radical family into memorable characters and objects, paired with smart Spaced Repetition (SRS) and native audio so the memory sticks permanently.