← Kanji module
N4 · 13 strokes · — · Irodori #571 · Pre-Intermediate L12
歳
age, occasion, opportunity, year-end
Stroke diagrams © KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Readings
- On’yomi
- サイ、セイ
- Kun’yomi
- とし、とせ、よわい
Example words
～歳
～さい
～ years old
20歳
にじゅっさい／はたち
twenty years old
何歳
なんさい
how old
～歳以上 （十二歳以上）
～さいいじょう （じゅうにさいいじょう）
aged ～ or above (e.g. aged 12 or above)
Memory aids
Guided learn session →How to remember
Shape
A complex 13-stroke character meaning "age" — break it into smaller familiar components to remember it.
Components
Remember "age" (歳) by connecting it to its Irodori vocabulary context.
Anchor word
～歳 (～さい) — your first meeting with this kanji in Irodori.
Readings
First learned in ～歳 (～さい) — recall the word to unlock the reading. Kun'yomi: とし、とせ、よわい — often used in native Japanese words. On'yomi: サイ、セイ — common in compound words (熟語).