季刊

• Reading: きかん
• Romaji: kikan
• Kanji breakdown: 季 (ki) — season; 刊 (kan) — publish, print
• Pronunciation: /ki.kaɴ/

Meaning

Quarterly publication; issued four times a year. Used for magazines, journals, and reports.

A noun and adjectival noun (with の) that describes publications released every three months. Part of a series of publishing frequency terms: 日刊 (daily), 週刊 (weekly), 月刊 (monthly), 季刊 (quarterly), 年刊 (annual).

Examples

1. この雑誌は季刊で年に四回発行される。 This magazine is a quarterly, published four times a year.
2. 季刊の文学誌を定期購読している。 I have a subscription to a quarterly literary journal.
3. 次の季刊号は七月に届く予定だ。 The next quarterly issue is scheduled to arrive in July.

Usage Guide

Context: publishing, academic, media

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 季 (ki, season) combined with 刊 (kan, publish/print), literally meaning 'published by the season' — once per season, four times a year.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal