Japanese word

年輪

Pronunciation

Romajinenrin

Meaning

  • nounannual ring

Example

木の年輪を数えると、年齢が分かります。ki no nen rin o kazo e ru to nen rei ga wa ka ri ma su

If you count a tree's annual rings, you can tell its age.

Illustration for 年輪 (annual ring)

More examples

乾燥した年には、年輪の幅が狭くなります。kan sō shi ta toshi ni wa nen rin no haba ga sema ku na ri ma su

In dry years, the annual rings become narrower.

Core concept

Describes a layer of wood added around a tree trunk during one year, making the tree's growth visible over time.

Common phrases

  • 年輪を調べるnen rin o shira be ru

    examine annual rings

  • 年輪ができるnen rin ga de ki ru

    annual rings form

Definition in Japanese

樹木の幹に一年ごとに形成される輪状の木質の層。ju moku no miki ni ichi nen go to ni kei sei sa re ru rin jō no moku shitsu no sō

Word origin

年輪 (nenrin) combines 年 (nen, "year") and 輪 (rin, "ring"), meaning a ring that represents one year's growth.

Usage tips

  • The width of an annual ring can reflect how favorable the growing conditions were in that year.

Other meanings

  • growth ringnoun

Word lists with this word