also: ねんちゅう · ねんぢゅう
noun
whole year; all year round; throughout the year
Refers to the entire year as a span of time. Common in expressions such as 年中無休 and 年中を通して.
この店は年中無休です。
This store is open all year round.
沖縄では年中を通して花が楽しめる
In Okinawa, you can enjoy flowers throughout the year.
adverb
always; all the time; perpetually
Only with reading ねんじゅう / ねんぢゅう
Adverbial use meaning that something happens constantly or very frequently, often with a mildly critical or casual tone depending on context.
彼は年中スマホを見ている。
He is always looking at his phone.
弟は年中お腹がすいたと言っている。
My little brother is constantly saying he is hungry.
noun
during an era; within the years of an era
Limited historical or document-style use, typically after an era name or period name to mean 'during that era'. Not the everyday sense of 'always'.
「寛政年中に建てられた」とあれば、寛政の時代に建てられたという意味です。
If it says 'built during the Kansei era,' it means it was built in the years of the Kansei era.
noun
second-year kindergarten student; middle-year kindergarten child
Only with reading ねんちゅう
Read ねんちゅう. In the context of Japanese kindergarten or preschool classes, 年中 refers to the middle class, between 年少 and 年長; it is not a general word for any second-year student.
娘は今年、幼稚園の年中になった。
My daughter moved up to the middle kindergarten class this year.
年中の子どもたちが園庭で遊んでいる。
The middle-year kindergarten children are playing in the schoolyard.