Korean Dictionary
How to say "Year" in Korean
“Year” in Korean is 년 (pronounced "nyeon").
년
nyeon
Korean usage reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Last reviewed June 4, 2026.
This page checks meaning, pronunciation, politeness level, and common learner mistakes.
Usage & Context
The word for year, a period of 365 days. This is commonly used in dates, ages, and historical references.
Example Sentence
올해는 2024년이에요.
This year is 2024.
How to use 년 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Year” is 년, romanized as nyeon.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 년.
Pronunciation Guide
The pronunciation 'nyeon' sounds like 'nyun' in 'bun' but with a distinct 'ee' sound before the 'uh' and a soft 'n' at the end. The 'nyeo' part is similar to 'neo' in 'neon' but with a 'y' sound.
More Example Sentences
Asking about the duration of a study period.
몇 년 동안 한국어를 공부했어요?
How many years have you studied Korean?
Expressing future travel plans.
내년에는 꼭 한국에 갈 거예요.
I'll definitely go to Korea next year.
Referring to a historical event in a specific year.
그 사건은 1950년에 일어났어요.
That incident happened in 1950.
Cultural Context
년 (nyeon) is primarily used with Sino-Korean numbers to denote calendar years (e.g., 2024년). When discussing age, Koreans typically use 살 (sal) for 'years old' (e.g., 스무 살 - twenty years old), not 년. However, you might hear 몇 년생이에요? (What year were you born?) which uses 년. Due to the traditional Korean age system, your 'Korean age' is often one or two years older than your international age.
Editorial note
We review entries like 년 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Last reviewed June 4, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
작년
last year
올해
this year
내년
next year
Related Expressions
해
hae
year (native Korean word, often for duration or general 'year')
연도
nyeondo
year (often for specific calendar years, more formal)
세기
segi
century
월
wol
month
More Numbers and Time Words
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