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

Usage

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)

Related Words

Compare: 二年生(にねんせい) (second-year student)

Compare: 三年生(さんねんせい) (third-year student)

Compare: 新入生(しんにゅうせい) (new student)

general

Added 2026.5.14 10:41 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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