How to say "year" in Japanese

• 年としJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for a year as a stretch of time — a calendar year or a twelve-month period. It is read とし when the word stands on its own.
  一いち月がつは年としの一いち番目ばんめの月つきです。↗

  January is the first month of the year.
• 年ねんCommon
  nounThe same word in its ねん reading, heard when 年 combines with numerals or other words rather than standing alone; the standalone reading is とし.
• 級きゅうJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, counterFor plain 'year' this is seldom the word you want: it denotes a school grade or class, so its 'year' sense is a student's year level, not a calendar year or span of time.
  彼かれは１０年ねん級きゅうに在学中ざいがくちゅうだ。↗

  He is in the tenth grade.
• 年次ねんじCommon
  noun (suffix)Refers to the year of an event such as one's graduation or the year one joined a company — the year as a piece of information about when something took place, rather than a duration.

Use 年 for a calendar year or a span of time — とし alone, ねん in combinations — 級 for a school grade or class, and 年次 for the year of an event like graduation or joining a company.

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

• 年としyear
• 年ねんyear
• 級きゅう(school) grade
• イヤーyear
• 歳次さいじyear
• 年紀ねんきyear
• 年次ねんじyear (e.g. of graduation, joining a company)
• 季きyear
• 代だいgeneration