1.
same age, of the same age
Being born in the same year; having the same age as someone else.
私たちは同い年だ。
We are the same age.
同い年の友達。
A friend of the same age.
彼と彼女は同い年らしい。
Apparently he and she are the same age.
同い年だと知って親近感がわいた。
I felt a sense of closeness when I learned we were the same age.
同い年 means being the same age.
PRONUNCIATION:
Note the unusual reading おない for 同い, which only appears in this word.
USAGE:
Commonly used when discovering someone shares your birth year, often creating a sense of connection or equality.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 同い年だ: to be the same age
- 同い年の: of the same age (attributive)
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japan, discovering someone is 同い年 often shifts the relationship dynamic, as age-based hierarchies (先輩/後輩) become less relevant.
RELATED:
- 同年代: same generation
- 同期: same year (school/work entry)
- タメ: same age (casual slang)