1.
the following year; the year after a particular reference year
A written, somewhat formal way of saying "the year after" a previously mentioned year or event. Commonly appears in news articles, biographies, timelines, and historical or academic writing. Unlike 来年 (next year from now), 翌年 is relative to a reference point established in context — usually the year just mentioned.
翌年結婚した。
They got married the following year.
翌年の春に東京へ引っ越した。
I moved to Tokyo in the spring of the following year.
彼は大学を卒業し、翌年には大きな会社に就職した。
He graduated from university and, the following year, took a job at a large company.
地震が起きたのは1995年で、翌年から本格的な復興作業が始まった。
The earthquake occurred in 1995, and full-scale reconstruction work began the following year.
A relative time noun meaning "the year after (a previously mentioned year)." The reference year must be established in context — 翌年 does not mean "next year from now."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 翌年の春: the spring of the following year
- 翌年3月: March of the following year
- 翌年に入る: to enter the following year
- 翌年から: starting the following year
- 翌年までに: by the following year
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 来年: next year — relative to the current year from the speaker's standpoint.
- 翌年: the following year — relative to a year previously mentioned in context.
- 明年: next year — a more formal, written equivalent of 来年, used in letters and announcements.
- 翌年度: the following fiscal year — used when talking about fiscal or academic years rather than calendar years.
REGISTER:
Written or semi-formal. Common in news, biographies, historical writing, official reports, and narrative descriptions of sequences of events. In casual conversation, Japanese speakers often use 次の年 (the next year) instead.
RELATED TIME NOUNS:
- 翌日: the following day
- 翌週: the following week
- 翌月: the following month
- 翌朝: the following morning
These all follow the same pattern: 翌 + time unit = "the following X." They all require a reference point from context.