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A2 noun #1,000 most common 4 min read

昨年

sakunen Top 1,000

When you want to talk about something that happened in the year before the current one, you use the word 昨年 (sakunen). It literally means 'previous year' or 'last year'.

You might use it in a sentence like, '昨年、日本に行きました' (Sakunen, Nihon ni ikimashita), which means 'Last year, I went to Japan.' It's a straightforward way to refer to the past year.

When you want to say "last year" in Japanese, the word you'll use is 昨年 (sakunen). This is a common and straightforward term. It's often used in formal situations or writing. For a slightly more casual way to say "last year," you might hear 去年 (kyonen), which carries the same meaning. Both are correct, so choose the one that fits the context of your conversation.

Practice it

§ Understanding 昨年 (sakunen) - Last Year

Let's talk about the Japanese word for 'last year', which is 昨年 (sakunen). This is a very common word, and you'll hear it in all kinds of situations. It's a straightforward noun, and its meaning is exactly what you'd expect: the year before the current one.

DEFINITION: last year

§ Where you'll hear 昨年 (sakunen)

You'll find 昨年 (sakunen) popping up in many contexts. It's a foundational word for talking about past events, so it's essential for daily conversations, work, school, and even understanding the news.

At Work: Discussing project timelines, sales figures, or annual reports.
At School: Talking about grades, events from the previous academic year, or historical facts.
In the News: Reporting on economic trends, political events, or annual celebrations.
In Casual Conversation: Sharing memories, talking about personal experiences, or making plans.

§ Examples of 昨年 (sakunen) in Use

Let's look at some practical examples so you can see how 昨年 (sakunen) fits into sentences. Pay attention to how it combines with other words to form complete thoughts.

昨年は大変お世話になりました。

Hint: Thank you for everything last year.

昨年の夏休みは北海道へ行きました。

Hint: I went to Hokkaido for last year's summer vacation.

このプロジェクトは昨年から始まりました。

Hint: This project started last year.

昨年より今年のほうが忙しいです。

Hint: This year is busier than last year.

昨年の売上は過去最高でした。

Hint: Last year's sales were a record high.

§ Practice using 昨年 (sakunen)

The best way to get comfortable with 昨年 (sakunen) is to use it yourself. Try to recall something you did last year and describe it in Japanese. For example:

What was your favorite memory last year?
Did you travel anywhere last year?
What was a big achievement for you last year?

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The more you use new vocabulary, the more natural it will become. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be using 昨年 (sakunen) like a pro!

§ Meaning of 昨年 (sakunen)

Japanese Word: 昨年
Pronunciation: さくねん (sa-ku-nen)
Part of Speech: Noun
CEFR Level: A2
Definition: last year

昨年 (sakunen) is a common Japanese word you'll use to talk about the previous year. It literally means "previous year" and is generally used in more formal contexts or when stating facts. It's a straightforward word, so let's get right into how to use it.

§ Examples of 昨年 (sakunen) in sentences

昨年、日本に行きました。(Sakunen, Nihon ni ikimashita.)

Hint: Last year, I went to Japan.

昨年の夏はとても暑かった。(Sakunen no natsu wa totemo atsukatta.)

Hint: Last summer was very hot.

彼は昨年結婚しました。(Kare wa sakunen kekkon shimashita.)

Hint: He got married last year.

Notice how 昨年 works just like "last year" in English. You can use it at the beginning of a sentence or to modify a noun, like in "昨年の夏" (last year's summer).

§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives

While 昨年 (sakunen) means "last year," there's another common word you'll hear: 去年 (kyonen). Let's break down the differences and when to use each one.

昨年 (sakunen): This is the more formal and written form. You'll find it in news articles, official documents, business settings, and sometimes in polite conversation. It carries a slightly more serious or objective tone.
去年 (kyonen): This is the more casual and commonly spoken form. Most native speakers will use 去年 in everyday conversations with friends, family, and colleagues. It's perfectly acceptable and sounds natural.

Think of it this way:

昨年 (sakunen): Formal, written, polite, objective.
去年 (kyonen): Casual, spoken, everyday conversation.

Let's look at examples comparing them:

昨年の売上は好調でした。(Sakunen no uriage wa kōchō deshita.)

Hint: Last year's sales were strong. (Formal, business report style)

去年の旅行は楽しかったね。(Kyonen no ryokō wa tanoshikatta ne.)

Hint: Last year's trip was fun, wasn't it? (Casual conversation)

There's no strict rule that you absolutely cannot use 去年 in formal settings or 昨年 in casual ones, but following these general guidelines will make your Japanese sound more natural and appropriate for the situation.

Grammar to Know

Use 昨年 (sakunen) when referring to the previous calendar year in a general sense.

昨年、日本に行きました。(Sakunen, Nihon ni ikimashita.) - I went to Japan last year.

昨年 can be used with particles like に (ni) to indicate when something happened.

昨年に大学を卒業しました。(Sakunen ni daigaku o sotsugyou shimashita.) - I graduated from university last year.

While 昨年 is a common and polite way to say 'last year', 去年 (kyonen) is also frequently used, particularly in more casual conversations.

去年は忙しかったね。(Kyonen wa isogashikatta ne.) - Last year was busy, wasn't it?

昨年 is a noun and can be modified by demonstratives like この (kono) or その (sono) if you want to be more specific, though it's less common for 'last year' itself.

この昨年は特に暑かったです。(Kono sakunen wa tokuni atsukatta desu.) - This past year was especially hot. (Less common, but grammatically possible for emphasis).

When comparing 'last year' with 'this year' (今年 - kotoshi) or 'next year' (来年 - rainen), 昨年 provides a clear temporal reference.

昨年と今年は旅行に行けませんでした。(Sakunen to kotoshi wa ryokou ni ikemasen deshita.) - I couldn't go on a trip last year and this year.

Test Yourself 24 questions

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 私は昨年日本へ行きました。

This sentence translates to 'I went to Japan last year.' The typical Japanese sentence structure is Subject-Time-Place-Verb.

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 昨年はとても暑かったです。

This means 'Last year was very hot.' The topic particle 'は' (wa) marks '昨年' (sakunen) as the topic, followed by the adjective '暑かった' (atsukatta) meaning 'was hot' and the intensifier 'とても' (totemo) meaning 'very'.

sentence order A1

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 彼は昨年学生でした。

This translates to 'He was a student last year.' The sentence follows a Subject-Time-Noun-でした (deshita) pattern, where 'でした' is the past tense of 'です' (desu).

fill blank A2

___ は日本に行きました。(I went to Japan last year.)

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 去年

To say 'last year' in Japanese, you use 昨年 (sakunen) or 去年 (kyonen).

fill blank A2

___ の誕生日は楽しかったです。(Last year's birthday was fun.)