今年

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 今年もよろしくお願いします。▶ —
   Looking forward to this year too.
2. 今年の夏はとても暑い。▶ —
   This summer is very hot.

Collocations

Mnemonic

ことし — 今年, written with the kanji 今年 but read as a Yamato word. By the kanji alone, 今 (now) + 年 (year) should read こんねん, but the actual reading is ことし ── a 熟字訓 jukujikun, a reading where the kun is laid over a whole kanji compound, not character by character. One row of the time matrix ── 去年 kyonen (last year) · 今年 kotoshi (this year) · 来年 rainen (next year). A curious asymmetry: 来年 takes the onyomi, 今年 the kun. Even within one row the reading modes mix ── the irregularity of Japanese kanji reading. The New Year ritual cluster around 今年 ── お正月 oshougatsu (New Year), 年賀状 nengajou (New Year cards), お年玉 otoshidama (New Year cash gift), 年越しそば toshikoshi soba (year-crossing buckwheat noodles). The New Year greeting 明けましておめでとうございます stands in exactly the seat of the Korean 'saehae bok mani badeuseyo'. The Korean readings geum / nyeon are sister to the onyomi こん / ねん.

Quick check

1. Custom of otoshidama (お年玉)?

   • New Year cash gift from adults to children, given in a pochibukuro envelope
   • New Year soba noodles
   • New Year temple bells
   • New Year cards