Japanese word

年配

Pronunciation

Romajinenpai

Meaning

  • nounolder person

Example

この席は年配の方にお譲りします。ko no seki wa nen pai no hō ni o yuzu ri shi ma su

I will give this seat to an older person.

Illustration for 年配 (older person)

More examples

この講座は年配の方にも分かりやすい内容です。ko no kō za wa nen pai no hō ni mo wa ka ri ya su i nai yō de su

This course is easy for older people to understand.

Core concept

It describes someone as relatively advanced in age while leaving the exact age unspecified.

Common phrases

  • 年配の方nen pai no hō

    older person

  • 年配の人nen pai no hito

    older person

Similar words

高齢者kōreisha: A person who is relatively advanced in age, often in formal or public language.
年長者nenchōsha: A person who is older than others in a particular group or setting.
老人rōjin: An older person described in direct terms that can sound less polite.
年寄りtoshiyori: An older person referred to in familiar or informal speech.

Definition in Japanese

比較的年齢が高い人。hi kaku teki nen rei ga taka i hito

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 年配 (nenpai) combines 年 (nen, "year or age") and 配 (hai, "distribution or proportion"), giving a term for a person's relative age.

Usage tips

  • In polite Japanese, 年配の方 (nenpai no kata) refers to an older person without stating a fixed age, making the expression less blunt than a direct age label.

Opposites

Related words

  • 年配者nenpaishaolder personnoun

Word lists with this word