Toshi and Nenrei: Japanese nouns for ‘age’

What do “toshi” and “nenrei” mean in Japanese?

Japanese native speakers often use these two words in the same way: to mean ‘age’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know these words as they are sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain their definitions and meanings in detail. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “toshi” and “nenrei” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “toshi”
• Definition and meaning of “nenrei”
• What does “nenrei” literally mean in Japanese?
• Toshi vs. nenrei: which to use
  • Example #1: how to use “toshi”
  • Example #2: how to use “nenrei”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “toshi”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “toshi”.

• toshi – 年 (とし) : a noun meaning ‘age’ or just ‘year’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers often use this noun to refer to someone’s age in Japanese. This noun can also mean just ‘year’, so we need to be a bit careful with the context and situation.

“Toshi” can sometimes be considered as the less formal version of “nenrei”. Let me explain it as follows.

Definition and meaning of “nenrei”

The definition and meaning of “nenrei” are very similar to those of “toshi”.

• nenrei – 年齢 (ねんれい) : a noun meaning ‘age’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.

“Nenrei” is a bit more specific. This noun refers only to someone’s age while “toshi” can also refer to a year depending on the context and situation. In addition, this noun is widely considered suitable for more formal situations.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

What does “nenrei” literally mean in Japanese?

The kanji expression of “nenrei” consists of the following two kanji characters:

• 年 : a kanji character used to mean ‘year’ or ‘age’ in Japanese.
• 齢 : a kanji character used to mean ‘age’ in Japanese.

These two kanji characters tell us that “nenrei” consists of two similar kanji characters and literally means a ‘year and age’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meaning.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “nenrei” through the detailed check above.

Toshi vs. nenrei: which to use

So far, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “toshi” and “nenrei” in detail. Next, let me explain which we should use. Again, but “toshi” can sometimes be considered as the less formal version of “nenrei”. In more formal situations, therefore, we should stick to the longer one. In daily conversations, by contrast, “toshi” is very understandable.

Then, let me explain how to use “toshi” and “nenrei” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to use “toshi”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make its possessive case, “kanojo no”, which means ‘her’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kanojo no nenrei” to make the object in the sentence.
• shira – 知ら (しら) : one conjugation of the verb, “shiru”, which means ‘to know’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”. In the example, this is used after “shira” to deny its meaning, ‘to know’.

This is a typical usage of “toshi”. In this example, it works together with the possessive case, “kanojo no”, to say “her age” in Japanese.

Example #2: how to use “nenrei”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “boku” to make its plural form, “boku tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
• mo – も : a binding particle making the subject word or the object word in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘also’, ‘too’, ‘as well’, or such. In the example, this works after “boku tachi” to make the subject in the sentence with adding the meaning of ‘either’.

This is a typical usage of “nenrei”. When we want to say “age” in a formal way in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “toshi” and “nenrei” in detail. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• toshi – 年 (とし) : a noun meaning ‘age’ or just ‘year’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This is widely considered less formal than “nenrei”.
• nenrei – 年齢 (ねんれい) : a noun meaning ‘age’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. This is widely considered suitable for more formal situations. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘year and age’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is very close to the actual meaning.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.