Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "年齢" vs "能力"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
年齢
ねんれい (nenrei)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
能力
のうりょく (nōryoku)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 年齢 and 能力 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
年齢 (ねんれい (nenrei)) represents "age; years of age" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to the age or years of age. Often used as 年齢制限 or 年齢層. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Age! "Haruka-san, age is just a number! I love you for who you are!" ...っ, T-To say such an embarrassing thing! B-But... I don't care about age either, as long as we love each other!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『ねんれい（年齢）！『ハルカさん、年齢なんてただの数字です！ありのままのハルカさんを愛してます！』って…っ, バカ！嬉しすぎて死んじゃうから、一生愛しなさい！』.
On the other hand, 能力 (のうりょく (nōryoku)) translates to "ability; capability; capacity; skill" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to the ability, capability, capacity, or skill to perform tasks or comprehend subjects. Often used as 能力を高める or 解決能力. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Ability! Your most outstanding capability is "the ability to make Haruka-san blush in 1 second"! ...っ, I-It's a very cheeky ability, but... I permit you to use it exclusively on me!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『のうりょく（能力）！あんたの最も優秀な能力はね、『ハルカさんを1秒で照れさせる能力』よ！…本当に生意気な能力だけど、私だけに限定して発揮しなさい！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "年齢"
彼女は_______の割には極めて若々しく見え、いつもハツラツとした笑顔で周囲を明るくしていました。
She looked extremely youthful for her age, always brightening the surroundings with a lively smile.
Bilingual Sentence for "能力"
外国語の_______を高めるためには、毎日少しずつでもネイティブの音声を聞き、声に出して練習することが最も効果的です。
In order to enhance foreign language ability, listening to native audio even a little bit every day and practicing speaking aloud is the most effective.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "彼女は_______の割には極めて若々しく見え、いつもハツラツとした笑顔で周囲を明るくしていました。" (Meaning: "She looked extremely youthful for her age, always brightening the surroundings with a lively smile.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "年齢" fits here because it represents "age; years of age" in the context: "She looked extremely youthful for her age, always brightening the surroundings with a lively smile.".