～年生
～ねんせい · ～nensei · JLPT N2 · noun
year
🎒 年生 = year (年) + student (生): 一年生 is a first-year student
年 (nen) means year and 生 (sei) means student, the same 生 as in 先生 (sensei, teacher) and 学生 (gakusei, student). Put a number in front to give the year: 三年生 is a third-year pupil.
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.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.