年 忌(ねんき)

ねんき

noun

memorial anniversary; anniversary of a death

1. memorial anniversary; anniversary of a person's death observed with a Buddhist ceremony

Specific anniversaries of a death on which memorial services are held. In Japanese Buddhism, these occur at fixed intervals and are important family and religious occasions.

祖父(そふ)の三回忌(さんかいき)の年忌(ねんき)法要(ほうよう)。

The third-year memorial service for my grandfather.

年忌(ねんき)には親族(しんぞく)が集(あつ)まってお経(きょう)を上(あ)げる。

At memorial anniversaries, relatives gather and have sutras recited.

来年(らいねん)は母(はは)の七回忌(ななかいき)なので、年忌(ねんき)法要(ほうよう)の準備(じゅんび)を始(はじ)めた。

Since next year is my mother's seventh-year memorial, I started preparing for the memorial service.

Composed of 年(ねん) (year) + 忌(き) (mourning, memorial). Refers to the Buddhist tradition of holding memorial services at specific intervals after death.

Memorial year schedule

The major 年忌(ねんき) in Japanese Buddhism are:

一周忌(いっしゅうき): 1st anniversary
三回忌(さんかいき): 3rd year (actually 2 years after death — counts the year of death as year 1)
七回忌(ななかいき): 7th year
十三回忌(じゅうさんかいき): 13th year
三十三回忌(さんじゅうさんかいき): 33rd year (often the final service)

Common collocations

年忌(ねんき)法要(ほうよう): memorial service
年忌(ねんき)を営(いとな)む: to hold a memorial service
年忌(ねんき)に当(あ)たる: to fall on a memorial year

Similar words

法事(ほうじ): Buddhist memorial service — the event itself, while 年忌(ねんき) refers to the anniversary
命日(めいにち): anniversary of death — the specific date, observed annually; 年忌(ねんき) refers to the special milestone anniversaries
法要(ほうよう): Buddhist ceremony — the formal religious service held at a 年忌(ねんき)

Related Words

Compare: 法事(ほうじ) (Buddhist memorial service)

Compare: 命日(めいにち) (anniversary of death)

Compare: 法要(ほうよう) (Buddhist ceremony)

general

Added 2026.4.9 5:40 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

23000/23165_nenki