去年

• Reading: きょねん
• Romaji: kyonen
• Kanji breakdown: 去 (kyo/ko) — leave, past; 年 (nen/toshi) — year
• Pronunciation: /kjo.neɴ/

Meaning

Last year. Refers to the calendar year before the current one.

Combines 去 (going away, past) and 年 (year). Used with past tense to discuss events from the previous year. The more formal synonym 昨年 (sakunen) is used in business and written Japanese, while 去年 is standard in everyday conversation.

Examples

1. 去年の夏、北海道に行きました。 I went to Hokkaido last summer.
2. 去年は雪がたくさん降りました。 It snowed a lot last year.
3. 去年、日本語の勉強を始めました。 I started studying Japanese last year.

Usage Guide

Context: recounting events, daily conversation, personal history

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A Sino-Japanese compound of 去 (kyo, to leave/pass) and 年 (nen, year). The character 去 conveys the idea of something that has passed or gone away.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal