三年

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
三	年
さん Grade: 1	ねん Grade: 1
goon

三 (san, “three”) +‎ 年 (-nen, “year”)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さんねん [sàńnéń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [sã̠nːẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

三(さん)年(ねん) • (sannen) 

1. three years; the third year

   三(さん)年(ねん)ぶりに回(まわ)る。

   Sannen buri ni mawaru.

   [It] has come around after three years.

2. (education) the third school year

   Coordinate terms: 一年, 五年, 二年, 四年, 六年

   三(さん)年(ねん)生(せい)

   sannen-sei

   a third-year student

   • 2015 March 10 [2014 December 10], Yūji Shiozaki, “第百五拾九話 [Chapter 159]”, in 一騎当千 [One vs. Thousands], 2nd edition, volume 23 (fiction), Tokyo: Wani Books, page 130:

     大和(やまと)学(がく)院(いん)三(さん)年(ねん)　新(しん)免(めん)武(たけ)蔵(ぞう)

     Yamato Gakuin sannen Shinmen Takezō

     Yamato Academy senior, Shinmen Takezō

3. (figurative) a long period of time, several years

Usage notes

Lower secondary school (middle school, junior high school) and secondary school (high school) each last three years in the contemporary Japanese educational system.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
三	年
み Grade: 1	とせ Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
三歳

三(み) (mi, “three”) + 年(とせ) (-tose, “year”)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みとせ [mìtósé] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [mʲito̞se̞]

Noun

三(み)年(とせ) • (mitose) 

1. three years; triennial
   • a. 10th century, 伊勢物語 (The Tales of Ise), volume 24:

     あらたまの年(とし)の三(み)とせを待(ま)ちわびてただ

     Aratama no toshi no mitose o machiwabiteta da

     We have been waiting impatiently for year three to arrive

2. three years old

   Synonym: 三歳 (sansai)

Usage notes

The reading みとせ is less common and may be more restricted in usage than さんねん.

References

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN “さんねん 【三年】”
• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN “みとせ 【三歳・三年】”