一年生(いちねんせい)

いちねんせい
noun
first-year student; freshman
1. first-year student; freshman; first grader
A student in their first year of a given school level — elementary first-grader, first-year junior high or high school student, or first-year university student. The school level is clarified by context or by prefixing it (e.g., 小学(しょうがく)一年生(いちねんせい)).
息子(むすこ)は今(いま)一年生(いちねんせい)だ。
My son is in first grade now.
大学(だいがく)一年生(いちねんせい)のときに出会(であ)った。
We met when I was a freshman in university.
小学(しょうがく)一年生(いちねんせい)になると、ランドセルを背負(せお)って学校(がっこう)に通(かよ)い始(はじ)める。
When you become a first-grader, you start going to school carrying a randoseru backpack.

Compound of 一年(いちねん) (one year) + 生(せい) (student). Can refer to any first-year level, with the school type either prefixed or understood from context.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 小学(しょうがく)一年生(いちねんせい): first-grader (elementary)
  • 中学(ちゅうがく)一年生(いちねんせい): first-year junior high student
  • 高校(こうこう)一年生(いちねんせい): first-year high school student
  • 大学(だいがく)一年生(いちねんせい): university freshman
  • 一年生(いちねんせい)になる: to become a first-year student

FIGURATIVE USE:
Can also describe a beginner or newcomer in any field, e.g., 社会人(しゃかいじん)一年生(いちねんせい) (someone in their first year of working life).

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 二年生(にねんせい): second-year student
  • 三年生(さんねんせい): third-year student
  • 新入生(しんにゅうせい): new student (just entered)
general
Added 2026.5.14 10:41
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