年齢
nenrei[nẽ̞n̺ɾe̞ː]
In Japanese, the word for age is 年齢 (nenrei). Wiktionary also lists 年 (toshi).
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 年齢 | nenrei | [nẽ̞n̺ɾe̞ː] (narrow) |
| 年 | toshi | [nẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) [to̞ɕi] (narrow) |
Age refers to the amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing. You can use 年齢 (nenrei) to discuss age in a technical sense, while 年 (toshi) is often used. To express being a certain age, you use the counter sai (years old). For example, you can say Watashi wa XX-sai desu to mean "I am XX years old."
Which one should you use?
年齢 (nenrei) is a formal, technical or administrative term for age. In contrast, 年 (toshi) is used in more general, everyday contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions like Osaka, you might hear the phrase Ore wa XX-sai ya.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
nenrei
Did you know?
- In traditional contexts, some Japanese people might refer to their 'East Asian zodiac age', which calculates age based on the lunar calendar rather than the birth date.
- The number twenty is often replaced by the special word hatachi instead of saying nijju-sai when stating one's age.
- The word 年 (toshi) has a surprising connection to agriculture, as it originally referred to grain or the annual rice harvest.
Examples in context
- もう年だよ。I feel my age.This sentence uses 年 to express the feeling of getting older.Tatoeba #194006 by small_snow, translation #31175 by CK
- 同い年だよ。I am the same age.This sentence uses 年 to state that two people are the same age.Tatoeba #9388325 by small_snow, translation #259716 by CK
- 彼らは同い年だ。They are the same age.This sentence uses 年 to state that a group of people are the same age.Tatoeba #96463 by small_snow, translation #307243 by CK
- 150 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a new employee at work.
- 美咲 Misaki新入社員の年齢はいくつですか？shinnyuushain no nenrei wa ikutsu desu ka?What is the age of the new employee?
- 健太 Kenta二十歳ですよ。hatachi desu yo.He is twenty years old.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんよりずっと若いですね。Kenta-san yori zutto wakai desu ne.He is much younger than you, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaそうですね、元気そうですね。sou desu ne, genki sou desu ne.That's true, he looks energetic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “age” translations and entries 年齢, 年, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 年, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
