1.
full (completed) age — a person's age counted by completed years since birth, the standard modern way of reckoning age
The modern Japanese system for counting age, in which a person is 0 at birth and adds one year on each birthday. This is the system used in law, schools, medical records, and everyday life. It contrasts with 数え年, the traditional East Asian system that counts the year of birth as 1 and adds a year at the new year, producing a higher number.
The standard, legally-defined way of counting age in modern Japan. A person is 0 at birth, and their age increases on each birthday.
Usage
- Used by default in official documents: resumes, forms, medical records, legal documents.
- Often explicitly contrasted with 数え年 in contexts where both may be relevant, such as traditional celebrations (e.g., 厄年).
- Forms like insurance applications sometimes specifically ask for 満年齢 to avoid ambiguity.
Common collocations
- 満年齢で○○歳: ○○ years old in full age
- 満年齢を記入する: to fill in one's full age
- 満年齢で答える: to answer in terms of full age
Similar words
- 数え年: traditional age count — you are 1 at birth and everyone ages together at the new year; still used for some rites and celebrations.
- 年齢: age in general — the plain word, usually taken to mean 満年齢 unless otherwise specified.
- 実年齢: real age (as opposed to how old one looks or feels); overlaps with 満年齢 but emphasizes truthfulness rather than the counting system.
Related Words
Compare:
数え年 (traditional age count)