去 年(きょねん)

きょねん

noun, adverb

last year

time-general

See also: 昨年(さくねん) (last year (formal))

1. last year

The year before this one; the previous year. Used to refer to events or states in the year that just passed.

去年(きょねん)日本(にほん)に行(い)きました。

I went to Japan last year.

去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ)はとても暑(あつ)かったです。

Last summer was very hot.

去年(きょねん)から日本語(にほんご)を習(なら)っています。

I've been learning Japanese since last year.

去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ)に友達(ともだち)と海(うみ)に行(い)って、とても楽(たの)しかったです。

I went to the beach with friends last summer, and it was really fun.

去年(きょねん)は大(たい)変(へん)な一(いち)年(ねん)でした。引(ひ)っ越(こ)しもしたし、新(あたら)しい仕事(しごと)も始(はじ)めました。

Last year was a tough year. I moved and also started a new job.

去年(きょねん) means "last year" and is the ordinary everyday word for it.

Year reference series

おととし (also written 一昨年(いっさくねん)): year before last
去年(きょねん): last year
今年(ことし): this year
来年(らいねん): next year
再来年(さらいねん): year after next

Common patterns

去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ): last summer
去年(きょねん)から: since last year
去年(きょねん)の今頃(いまごろ): around this time last year

Register

去年(きょねん): casual and neutral; the normal choice in conversation
昨年(さくねん): formal, used in writing, news, and business speech

No particle needed

Like other time words of this kind, 去年(きょねん) attaches directly to the verb as an adverb — 去年(きょねん)行(い)きました, not 去年に行きました. It takes に only when a more specific time is named inside it, as in 去年(きょねん)の夏(なつ)に. The same holds for 昨年(さくねん).

Related Words

Related: 今年(ことし) (this year)

Related: 来年(らいねん) (next year)

Related: 毎年(まいとし) (every year)

Related: 一昨年(いっさくねん) (the year before last)

Compare: 前年(ぜんねん) (previous year)

Related: 一昨昨年(いっさくさくねん) (three years ago)

Compare: 先年(せんねん) (some years ago)

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:49 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:00

00500/00727_kyonen