How to say "adulthood" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 丁年ていねんnounCovers the legal sense of adulthood: the age of majority, set at twenty in Japan. It is a formal term found in legal and official contexts and is not an everyday word for being grown up.
- 成人期せいじんきnounRefers to adulthood as a period or stage of life rather than a legal threshold, e.g. in discussions of development. Like 丁年 it is a less common word, so simpler expressions are often preferred.
Use 丁年 for the legal milestone of reaching majority at age twenty, and 成人期 for adulthood as a life stage or period; both are relatively uncommon choices.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
