How to Say "Two Years Ago" in Japanese

二年前

ninen mae

The English phrase "two years ago" is expressed in Japanese as 二年前 (ninen mae).

二年前 is used to refer to a point in time that occurred exactly or approximately two years before the present moment.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of 二 (two), 年 (year) and 前 (before/ago).

In this construction, the element 前 (mae) functions as a postpositional noun meaning "before" or "ago" when it follows a time duration.

ninen mae

The word 前 (mae) is used in the phrase 前向き (maemuki) to describe someone with a 'positive' or 'forward-looking' attitude. Here, 'before' or 'front' is used as a metaphor for the future.
While 二年前 indicates a point in time, Japanese has a specific word 一昨年 (ototoshi) for 'the year before last'. Using this single word is often more common in casual conversation than saying 二年前.
When speaking very formally, a Japanese person might say 二年前のことですが, which translates to 'It is a matter of two years ago', to gently introduce a story from the past.

彼女は二年前に肉食をやめた。
She stopped eating meat two years ago.
Tatoeba #10906867 by SomeHungryBois, translation #8098558 by Ergulis
彼は老衰で二年前に亡くなった。
He died of old age two years ago.
Tatoeba #98869 by small_snow, translation #304831 by CK
私は二年前に日本へ旅行しました。
I traveled to Japan two years ago.
昨日、私は二年前に買った本を読みました。
Yesterday, I read a book that I bought two years ago.
二年前に日本に来ました。
ninen mae ni nihon ni kimashita.
I came to Japan two years ago.

Yota and Yui are talking about their travel experiences.

陽太 Yota

結衣さんは北海道に行ったことがありますか？
Yui-san wa Hokkaido ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?
Yui, have you ever been to Hokkaido?
結衣 Yui

はい、二年前に行きました。
Hai, ninen mae ni ikimashita.
Yes, I went there two years ago.
陽太 Yota

いいですね。冬に行きましたか？
Ii desu ne. Fuyu ni ikimashita ka?
That's nice. Did you go in winter?
結衣 Yui

いいえ、夏に行きましたよ。
Iie, natsu ni ikimashita yo.
No, I went in summer.

Sources

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