The kanji for "year" is pronounced "sai" or "toshi."

What does this kanji mean?

[Beginner's Level] Let's think about the meaning of kanji

It is said that this kanji is made up of two kanji with different meanings.

・"Inu" means a blade

・"Abu" means the progress of the years.

Were you able to guess the meaning from the origin of the kanji?

The correct answer is..."age"

"Toshi" is pronounced "sai" or "toshi" and is a kanji character that means "age" or "years and months" and is used in situations and sentences like the example sentences.

Example sentences

My aunt will be 45 next year.

(Oba wa, rainen de 45-sai ni naru.)

My aunt will be 45 years old next year.

Example sentences

It's been five years since I moved to this town.

(Kono machi ni hikkoshite kite kara, mō 5-nen no saigetsu ga nagareta.)

It's been 5 years since I moved to this town.

[Intermediate Level] Learn about age in Japan!

・"Taisai" is used when expressing age.

Age can be expressed by combining numbers with "years old," such as "20 years old." When expressing age, the kanji "sai" can also be used in addition to "years old." However, each kanji has a different meaning, so care must be taken when using them.

While "sai" originally implies age or years, "sai" refers to innate talent or intelligence. In other words, the kanji "sai" does not include the meaning of age. Please note that in Japan, "sai" is used instead of the kanji "sai" which has many strokes, only when expressing age.

Example sentences for "years old"

"My father said that from the age of 17 onwards he had been thinking about the meaning of life every day."

(Watashi no chichi wa, 17-sai no koro kara mainichi jinsei to wa nanika wo kangaete ita to iu.)

My dad has been thinking about life every day since he was 17 years old.

Example sentences for "才"

This book is easy to understand even for a four-year-old child.

(Kono hon wa, 5-sai no kodomo ni mo wakari yasui naiyōda.)

This book is easy to understand even for a 5-year-old child.

・"Tai" is used to convey the passage of time.

The kanji "year" is also used to express the passage of time, such as one year or two years. Another kanji with the same meaning is "year (toshi)." When using "year (toshi)," the meaning of "number of times" is stronger, as time accumulates and is added. On the other hand, when using "year (toshi)," the meaning of "the passage of time" is stronger.

For example, "years" and "years" are both words that express the passage of time, but "years" is used to convey the passage of time from the past to the present. On the other hand, "years" has a stronger meaning as the vague flow of time itself.

In Japan, there has long been a respect for the passage of time and the turning of the seasons, and as the end of the "toshi" (year) approaches, there is a culture of giving "oseibo" (year-end gifts). "Oseibo" refers to gifts given to people who have helped you over the past year, as a token of gratitude. In the past, gifts were given as New Year's food such as herring roe and kelp, but nowadays people give anything they think the recipient will like, such as food, drinks, or detergent.

"Seibo" is a word that means the end of the year. The current year-end gift culture originated from an event called "seibomawari," where people would visit the homes of people who had helped them at the end of the year. Because people often brought gifts with them during "seibomawari," these gifts came to be called "oseibo."

Until a few years ago, "oseibo" (year-end gifts) were mainly given to superiors at work or business partners, but in recent years, they are also sometimes given to family members or close friends.

Example sentences

"I'm thinking of sending a year-end gift to my business partner, Mr. Yamada, who has been so kind to me this year as well."

(Kotoshi mo, osewa ni natte iru torihikisaki no Yamada-san e oseibo wo okurou to omou.)

This year as well, I would like to give a year-end gift to Mr. Yamada, a business partner who has helped me out.

[Advanced] Learn idioms and phrases using "years old"!

"Toshi" is mainly used in idiomatic expressions and phrases that refer to the passage of time or age. Here are some expressions using "toshi" that are commonly used by Japanese people.

・Time waits for no man

It means that the years pass by regardless of one's convenience and never stay still.

It comes from a poem written by the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. "Time waits for no man" (saigetsu hito wo matazu) also contains the admonition that people will grow old quickly, so they should work hard and not waste time.

Example sentences

"If you just sleep every day, time waits for no man. Why don't you study more for yourself?"

(Mainichi nete bakari iru nante, “saigetsu hito wo matazu” da yo. Motto jibun no tameni benkyō shitara dō?)

You can't spend all your days sleeping. “Time and tide stay for no man”. Why don't you study for yourself more?

・Saimatsu (end of the year)

It refers to the end of the year, particularly from mid-December to New Year's Eve on the 31st. In Japan, a community fundraising campaign called the "Chiiki Saimatsu Tasukeai Bokin" is held at the end of the year (saimatsu). This is carried out at the municipal level by local residents, NPOs, and government agencies, etc., to ensure that people in need of support can live safely in their communities.

Example sentences

"I'm looking forward to going to the year-end sale at the nearby shopping center with my sister this weekend."

(Watashi wa, konshūmatsu, ane to chikaku no shoppingu-sentā no saimatsu sēru ni iku no wo tanoshimini shite iru.)

I'm looking forward to going to a year-end sale with my sister at a nearby shopping center this weekend.

・Long live the thousand autumns (senshūbanzai)

It means celebrating a very long period of time or longevity. "Sen" (thousand) and "ban" (ten thousand) mean a large number, while "shū" (autumn) and "zai" (years) mean years. "Senshūbanzai" (Long Live a Thousand Autumns) comes from "Kanpishi" (The Book of Han Fei), a Han thinker from the late Warring States period.

Example sentences

"Long live Chiaki. I sincerely hope that my parents stay healthy forever."

(“Senshūbanzai”, ryōshin ga zutto kenkōde i rareru koto wo kokorokara inotte iru.)

“Longevity celebration.” I sincerely pray that my parents will be healthy all the time.

・Chitoseame

Chitoseame candy is eaten during the Shichigosan shrine visit, which celebrates the growth of children aged three (boys and girls), five (boys), and seven (girls). The word "chitose" means a thousand years or a long period of time. Chitoseame candy is long and thin, and stretches when pulled, so it is meant to convey the wish that the child will live a long, healthy life.

Example sentences

"I can't forget the taste of the Chitose Ame sweets I ate with my siblings at the Shichi-Go-San celebration."

(“Shichigosan” no toki ni, kyōdai to issho ni tabeta chitoseame no aji ga wasure rarenai.)

I can't forget the taste of Chitose candy that I ate with my brother at “Shichigosan.”

We've introduced the meaning and usage of the kanji for "year." If you're interested in the unique expressions and uses of Japanese kanji, why not check out Let's Play KARUTA to learn about the meanings and origins of various kanji?