The Meaning of kisetsu [季節] In Japanese

季節
きせつ
Romaji: kisetsu N5

What does 季節 mean?

Translation and Meaning

season, time of year

Definition

季節 means season or time of year, referring to the recurring four-part cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter and the characteristic weather and activities associated with each period.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Season of the year: the annual divisions defined by climate and weather.
  • Broader sense: a period or phase in life or circumstance, often used metaphorically.
  • Seasonal usage: describing foods, fashion, events, or activities tied to a specific time of year.

Origin

Borrowed from Chinese kanji and integrated into Japanese with the same form; earliest appearances are found in classical Japanese literature via Chinese influence, widely used in the Heian period and beyond.

Composition

  • 季 means season or quarter of the year;
  • 節 means division, period, or node;
  • combined, they denote the set of the four seasons and the year’s time divisions as a whole.

Usage

Used in both formal and informal contexts to refer to time of year; in weather discussions, literature, media, and everyday speech, it can describe climate, seasonal foods, events, and fashion; in formal writing, it appears with nouns, adjectives, and phrases indicating the current or upcoming season.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture the year as four equal seats around a calendar table; each season sits in its own quarter, and the kanji 季節 visually suggests a grouping of times in a cycle.

Variations

  • seasonality — sense of recurring seasons; romaji: kisetsukan
  • seasonal — relating to a season; romaji: kisetsuteki
  • kisetsu — basic season; romaji: kisetsu

Example Phrases

  • 季節の変わり目、私は衣替えをする。
    Kisetsu no kawarime, watashi wa koromogae o suru.
    When the seasons change, I change my clothes.
    Lista:
    • 季節 (kisetsu) – season
    • の (no) – of
    • 変わり目 (kawarime) – turning point
    • 私 (watashi) – I
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 衣替え (koromogae) – wardrobe change
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • する (suru) – to do
    Use 「季節」 to mean ‘season’ and form 「季節の変わり目」 to express the ‘seasonal transition’; 「衣替え」 means ‘wardrobe change’, and 「する」 marks the action of doing it.
  • 季節の 恵みを 感じる 日常に 感謝する 朝。
    Kisetsu no megumi o kanjiru nichijou ni kansha suru asa.
    A morning when I feel the season’s blessings and am grateful in daily life.
    Lista:
    • 季節の (kisetsu no) – season’s
    • 恵みを (megumi o) – the blessings
    • 感じる (kanjiru) – feel
    • 日常に (nichijou ni) – in daily life
    • 感謝する (kansha suru) – am grateful
    • 朝 (asa) – morning
    「恵み」 means blessings; in this sentence it forms 季節の恵み (season’s blessings).
季節