Japanese word

近年

Pronunciation

Romajikinnen

Meaning

  • adverbin recent years

Example

近年、海外で働く人が増えています。kin nen kai gai de hatara ku hito ga fu e te i ma su

In recent years, the number of people working abroad has increased.

Illustration for 近年 (in recent years)

More examples

近年、働き方は大きく変わりました。kin nen hatara ki kata wa ō ki ku ka wa ri ma shi ta

In recent years, the way people work has changed greatly.

Core concept

Marks a period of several years close to the present rather than a single recent moment.

Common phrases

  • 近年増加するkin nen zō ka su ru

    increase in recent years

  • 近年注目されるkin nen chū moku sa re ru

    gain attention in recent years

  • 近年広がるkin nen hiro ga ru

    spread in recent years

Similar words

最近saikin: Refers to a time not long before the present and can describe a single event or a short period.
近頃chikagoro: Refers to the present period or the time around it in a relatively casual way.
昨今sakkon: Refers to present conditions or recent years in formal speech and writing.

Definition in Japanese

現在からさかのぼった数年間のうちに。gen zai ka ra sa ka no bo tta sū nen kan no u chi ni

Word origin

Combines 近 (kin, "near") and 年 (nen, "year"), giving the compound its sense of years close to the present.

Usage tips

  • 近年 (kinnen) sounds more formal than 最近 (saikin) and appears often in news reports, presentations, and serious discussions.

Word lists with this word