年度
ねんど · nendo · JLPT N2 · noun
fiscal year
📅 年 (year) + 度 (counted unit or round): one year counted as a unit, such as a fiscal year
Pronounced nendo. 年 means year, and 度 marks a counted period or occasion, so 年度 names one year as a unit. Use 今年度 for this fiscal year.
年 — grain 禾 over person 人 (oracle bone)
Originally a pictograph of a person carrying a bundle of harvested grain on their back, representing the yearly grain harvest. Because harvests came once a year, the character shifted from meaning 'harvest' to meaning 'year.' The modern form 年 obscures the original 禾 (grain) + 人 (person) structure.
度 — 广 (shelter) + 庶 abbreviated (phonetic)
Originally depicted a hand measuring length under a shelter, meaning 'to measure' or 'a measure/standard.' From this came extended senses like 'degree,' 'extent,' and 'to pass through' (as in passing time). The reading 'dù' means degree/measure, while 'duó' preserves the older verbal sense of measuring.