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年

年 — year, counter for years

Learn the correct stroke order for 年 (year), a 6-stroke kanji.

JLPT N5Grade 16 strokes

Stroke Order

123456
Stroke 0 / 6
On'yomi (音読み)ネンnen
Kun'yomi (訓読み)としtoshi
Strokes6
Radical干
Frequency#6
Meaningsyear, counter for years

Step-by-Step Diagram

1
2
3
4
5
6

Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 6 — start from the green dot

Common Words

越年えつねんseeing the old year out; greeting the New Year; passing the winternoun
往年おうねんyears gone by; earlier years; former yearsnoun
何年なんねんhow many years; how longnoun
学年がくねんacademic year; school yearnoun
去年きょねんlast yearnoun
近年きんねんrecent yearsnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 年 (year) is taught in grade 1 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N5 level. It has 6 strokes with radical 干.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 年 is #6, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

越年えつねん — seeing the old year out; greeting the New Year; passing the winter
往年おうねん — years gone by; earlier years; former years
何年なんねん — how many years; how long

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (干)

干dry平even幸happiness幹tree trunk

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 年 have?

The kanji 年 (year) has 6 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 年?

年 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 年 mean?

年 means: year, counter for years. On'yomi readings: ネン. Kun'yomi readings: とし.

What JLPT level is 年?

年 is a JLPT N5 kanji. This is a beginner-level kanji.