How to say "aging" in Japanese

• 加齢かれいCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbAging as the neutral process of growing older, especially of people; often found in medical and health contexts. It describes the passing of the years factually, without implying decline or damage.
• 熟成じゅくせいCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbAging only in the sense of maturing or ripening: cheese, wine, and other foods and drinks improving as they are stored. It never refers to people growing old.
  ワインはたるの中なかに入いれて熟成じゅくせいさせる。↗

  Wine is put in casks to age.
• 老化ろうかCommon
  suru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectiveAging as deterioration: the body declining with age, or things wearing out over the years. Choose it when the emphasis falls on decline or damage rather than on the mere passing of time.
  老化ろうかを防ふせぐためにもっと体からだを動うごかすべきだ。↗

  You have to get more exercise in order to stave off senility.
• 老いおいJLPT N3approx.Common
  no-adjectiveOld age itself rather than the process of aging: the state or experience of having grown old. For aging as an ongoing process, 加齢 or 老化 is the word to reach for.
  少年しょうねん老おい易やすく学がく成なり難がたし。↗

  Art is long, time is fleeting.

Use 加齢 for growing older as a neutral process, 老化 for aging as deterioration, 熟成 only for the maturing of food and drink, and 「老い」 for old age itself as a state.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 加齢かれいaging
• 熟成じゅくせいmaturing
• 老化ろうかageing
• 老いおいold age
• エージングaging
• 経年けいねんpassing of years
• 老けふけaging
• 高齢化こうれいかaging (of a population)
• 経年変化けいねんへんかchange over the years
• 年の取り方としのとりかたway one ages
• 高年齢化こうねんれいかageing (of a population)
• 時効じこうageing
• 経時けいじchronological
• 劣化れっか(visible) aging