Japanese word

晩年

Pronunciation

Romajibannen

Meaning

  • nounfinal years

Example

祖父は晩年を絵を描いて過ごしました。so fu wa ban nen o e o ega i te su go shi ma shi ta

My grandfather spent his final years painting.

Illustration for 晩年 (final years)

More examples

彼は晩年に故郷へ戻り、静かに暮らしました。kare wa ban nen ni ko kyō e modo ri shizu ka ni ku ra shi ma shi ta

He returned to his hometown in his final years and lived quietly.

Core concept

Describes the period near the end of a person's life, viewed as a distinct later stage rather than a single final moment.

Common phrases

  • 晩年を過ごすban nen o su go su

    spend one's final years

  • 晩年を迎えるban nen o muka e ru

    reach one's final years

  • 晩年の作品ban nen no saku hin

    late work

Similar words

老後rōgo: The period of life after reaching old age or retiring from work.
余生yosei: The remaining part of a person's life, often after a major stage or event.
老年rōnen: The stage of life associated with old age, viewed as a general life period.

Definition in Japanese

人生の終わりに近い時期。jin sei no o wa ri ni chika i ji ki

Word origin

晩年 (bannen) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 晩 (ban, "late") and 年 (nen, "year" or "age").

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 晩年 (bannen) often describes the later part of a person's life rather than only the last year, and it has a formal, reflective tone.

Opposites

  • 若年jakunenyoung agenoun

Word lists with this word