1.
student in the nth year (of a school)
Attached to a number to say what year of school someone is in: 一年生 (first-year student), 三年生 (third-year student). The school itself is understood from context or named separately.
From 年 (year) + 生 (student). The number takes the on'yomi: いち, に, さん, よ (四年生), ご, ろく.
Common collocations
- 小学一年生: first-grader
- 高校三年生: third-year high school student (final year)
- 何年生: what year (question word)
- 新一年生: incoming first-year student
Usage
Japanese counts school years from one within each school, so a 中学一年生 is a seventh-grader in American terms. The school year begins in April, so students change year in the spring.