年上
toshiue[to̞ɕiɯ̟e̞]
In Japanese, 'elder' is expressed as 年上 (toshiue).
The term 年上 is used to describe someone who is older than oneself or someone else. It is used to denote a relative position in age rather than describing a person's physical state of being elderly.
Meaning: old person (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 年 (year/age) and 上 (above/up), which literally means 'above in age'.
Which one should you use?
The antonym for 年上 is 年下, which means 'younger' and literally means 'below in age'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 年上 as an adjective to modify a noun, you must add the particle の after it, resulting in 年上の.
How do you pronounce it?
toshiue
Did you know?
- If you call someone 'elder' using the term 年上 in a formal way, you might sound like you are reading from a math textbook. For actual people, Japanese speakers prefer more nuanced titles based on their specific relationship.
- The concept of being 年上 is central to the 'senpai-kohai' dynamic. This system of senior and junior roles governs much of Japanese school and work culture through age and experience.
- The concept of 年上 is central to the 'seniority system' (nenkō joryutsu) in traditional Japanese companies, where pay and promotion were historically based on age and length of service.
Examples in context
- 彼の姉は私の一番上の兄より年上である。His elder sister is older than my eldest brother.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use 年上 to compare the ages of people.Tatoeba #117218 by bunbuku, translation #286447 by Swift
- 彼は私より年上です。Kare wa watashi yori toshiue desu.He is older than me.
- あの人は私より年上の人です。Ano hito wa watashi yori toshiue no hito desu.That person is an older person than me.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker.
- 結衣 Yui新しい同僚は誰ですか？Atarashii doryo wa dare desu ka?Who is the new colleague?
- 健太 Kenta佐藤さんです。彼は私より年上ですよ。Sato-san desu. Kare wa watashi yori toshiue desu yo.It's Mr. Sato. He is older than me.
- 結衣 Yuiそうですか。とても頼りになりそうですね。So desu ka. Totemo tayori ni narisou desu ne.I see. He seems very reliable.
- 健太 Kentaはい、とても落ち着いた方です。Hai, totemo ochitsuita kata desu.Yes, he is a very calm person.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 年上, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
