(にねん)

にねん
noun
two years; second year
1. two years; a two-year period
A duration of two years.
二年(にねん)(まえ)結婚(けっこん)した。
I got married two years ago.
(かれ)二年(にねん)でこの仕事(しごと)(おぼ)えた。
He learned this job in two years.
プロジェクトの完成(かんせい)までに二年(にねん)かかる予定(よてい)です。
The project is expected to take two years to complete.
2. second year; the second year
The second year in a sequence, such as a school year or program. Commonly used in 二年生(にねんせい) (second-year student).
高校(こうこう)二年(にねん)のときに(はじ)めて海外(かいがい)()った。
I went abroad for the first time in my second year of high school.
(むすめ)大学(だいがく)二年生(にねんせい)です。
My daughter is a second-year university student.

Means either 'two years' (duration) or 'second year' (ordinal position).

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 二年(にねん)(まえ): two years ago
  • 二年(にねん)(): two years from now
  • 二年間(にねんかん): for two years (emphasizes duration)
  • 二年(にねん)(): the second year (ordinal)
  • 二年生(にねんせい): second-year student

YEAR COUNTING:
Years use (ねん): 一年(いちねん), 二年(にねん), 三年(さんねん), 四年(よねん) (note: (), not し), 五年(ごねん).