The Meaning of hatachi [二十歳] In Japanese

二十歳
はたち
Romaji: hatachi N5

What does 二十歳 mean?

Translation and Meaning

twenty years old, twenty years of age

Definition

What does 二十歳 mean? It denotes the age of twenty years, a milestone often associated with adulthood in Japan.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • demographic descriptor: used to label someone as twenty years old in profiles, statistics, and media
  • age identity: describes an individual’s age as twenty
  • cultural milestone: linked to rites of passage and society’s recognition of adulthood

Etymology

二十 means twenty and 歳 means years old; the word historically features a special kun reading はたち (hatachi) for twenty years old, with alternative written pronunciations such as にじゅっさい (nijussai) and にじゅうさい (nijuu-sai) in some contexts

Origin

Modern origin: the social milestone of turning twenty and the associated Coming of Age Day, formalized as a national practice in 1948 to celebrate adulthood

Composition

  • 二 = two
  • 十 = ten
  • 歳 = years old; together they denote the age of twenty

Usage

Used in official documents, educational contexts, and descriptive writing to state or discuss age; in casual speech the noun form is common and can appear with の to modify a noun, while the standalone pronunciation はたち is often used when referring to a person who has reached twenty
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: two tens stacked to form 20, and picture a graduation cap placed on someone who just became twenty; recall the irregular reading hatachi as ha-ta-chi

Variations

  • はたち (hatachi) — twenty years old; primary reading
  • にじゅっさい (nijussai) — alternative reading
  • にじゅうさい (nijuu-sai) — another reading

Example Phrases

  • 二十歳 になって 初めて 一人で 買い物へ 行った。
    Hatachi ni natte hajimete hitori de kaimono e itta.
    I turned twenty and went shopping alone for the first time.
    Lista:
    • 二十歳 (hatachi) – age
    • になって (ni natte) – to become and connect
    • 初めて (hajimete) – for the first time
    • 一人で (hitori de) – alone
    • 買い物へ (kaimono e) – to go shopping
    • 行った (itta) – went
    In this sentence, 「二十歳」 marks turning twenty; 「になって」 is the te-form of なる, showing a change of state and linking to the next action.
二十歳