年 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 年 means "year" — a span of twelve months. But it stretches a little further than the English word: 年 also covers a person's age ("years lived") and shows up in school grades (一年生 = "first-year student"). You'll meet it constantly in everyday Japanese: telling the date, asking how old someone is, talking about last year and next year. Because dates and ages come up in almost every beginner conversation, 年 earns its place as one of the very first kanji to master.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | とし | 年 (year; age) |
| on'yomi | ネン | 去年 (last year), 来年 (next year), 一年 (one year), 〜年生 (Nth-year student) |
The usual rule of thumb works nicely here: the kun'yomi (とし) appears when 年 stands alone as a single word, while the on'yomi (ネン) shows up inside two-kanji compounds and counting expressions. So 年 by itself is とし, but 来年 and 一年 use ネン.
One important warning: 今年 ("this year") is irregular — it's read ことし, not "こんねん" or "こんとし." This is a special reading (jukujikgo) you simply memorize as a set. It's extremely common, so it's worth locking in early.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 6, written top to bottom and left to right in the usual order — the upper strokes first, then the long vertical stroke that runs down through the character last.
- Radical: the radical of 年 is 干 (かん, "dry"). The radical here is more about how the character is classified in dictionaries than about its meaning — 年 doesn't have much to do with "dry" in everyday use, so don't read too much into it. Just remember the shape and the readings.
A handy tip: 年 looks a bit like a stack of horizontal lines crossed by one tall vertical stroke. Picture the lines as the passing seasons and the vertical stroke as time marching straight through them — one full year.
Common words using 年
Notice the reading split in action: standalone 年 is とし, every compound (去年, 来年, 一年, 一年生) flips to ネン — and 今年 breaks both rules with its special reading ことし.
Example sentences
ヤッタンは今年、日本語の試験を受けます。
ヤッタンは ことし、にほんごの しけんを うけます。
Yattan is taking a Japanese exam this year.
今年 — the irregular reading ことし. Memorize it as a set.
モチは来年、小学一年生になる。
モチは らいねん、しょうがく いちねんせいに なる。
Mochi will become a first-year elementary school student next year.
Two on'yomi compounds: 来年 (らいねん) and 一年生 (いちねんせい) — both use ネン.
先生は弟に年をたずねました。
せんせいは おとうとに としを たずねました。
Sensei asked Yattan's little brother his age.
年 standing alone takes the kun'yomi とし, here meaning 'age.'
Quick recap
- 年 = year (and also "age" and school "grade"); 6 strokes; radical 干 (dry).
- とし when it stands alone (年 = year/age); ネン in compounds (去年, 来年, 一年, 〜年生).
- The big exception: 今年 = ことし, an irregular reading you memorize as a whole word.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 年 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
How do you read 年 in 今年?
今年 is read ことし ('this year'). It's an irregular, set reading (jukujikago) — not the regular とし or ネン — so memorize it as a whole word.
When is 年 read とし vs ネン?
年 is read とし when it stands alone (年 = 'year' or 'age'). It's read ネン inside compounds and counting words, such as 去年 (きょねん), 来年 (らいねん), and 一年 (いちねん).
How many strokes does 年 have?
年 has 6 strokes, written top to bottom with the long vertical stroke drawn last. Its dictionary radical is 干 ('dry').
What does 〜年生 mean?
〜年生 (〜ねんせい) marks a student's school year, for example 一年生 (いちねんせい, 'first-year student'). It uses the on'yomi ネン.