歳

音読おんよみ: サイ・セイ

訓読くんよみ: とし

画数かくすう: 13

部首ぶしゅ: 止（とめる）

Meaning

Year / Age / Occasion.

  • 歳とし — age; year
  • 百歳ばんざい — 100 years old
  • 万歳ばんざい — hurrah; long life
  • 歳月さいげつ — time; years
  • 歳入さいにゅう — annual revenue
  • 歳出さいしゅつ — annual expenditure
  • 千歳せんざい — a thousand years

歳 is an old character linked to the cycle of harvests and the passing of years. Its form hints at both steps (歩) and cycles, reflecting the steady march of time.

才

Think of 歳 and 才 together. 才 is often used informally to mark someone’s age, while 歳 is the formal character for “years of age.” Both connect naturally to the passing of years.

月
Forms

歳月さいげつ — time; months and years

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