三年

三 (san, “three”) +‎ 年 (-nen, “year”)

• (Tokyo) さんねん (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

三(さん)年(ねん) • (sannen) 

1. three years; the third year

   三(さん)年(ねん)ぶりに回(まわ)る。

   Sannen buri ni mawaru.

   has come around after three years.

2. (education) the third school year

   Coordinate terms: 一年, 五年, 二年, 四年, 六年

   三(さん)年(ねん)生(せい)

   sannen-sei

   a third-year student

   • 2015 March 10 [2014 December 10], Yūji Shiozaki, “第百五拾九話”, in 一騎当千, 2nd edition, volume 23 (fiction), Tokyo: Wani Books, page 130:

     大和(やまと)学(がく)院(いん)三(さん)年(ねん)　新(しん)免(めん)武(たけ)蔵(ぞう)

     Yamato Gakuin sannen Shinmen Takezō

     Yamato Academy senior, Shinmen Takezō

3. (figurative) a long period of time, several years

Lower secondary school (middle school, junior high school) and secondary school (high school) each last three years in the contemporary Japanese educational system.

三(み) (mi, “three”) + 年(とせ) (-tose, “year”)

• (Tokyo) みとせ (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

三(み)年(とせ) • (mitose) 

1. three years; triennial
   • a. 10th century, 伊勢物語 (The Tales of Ise), volume 24:

     あらたまの年(とし)の三(み)とせを待(ま)ちわびてただ

     Aratama no toshi no mitose o machiwabiteta da

     We have been waiting impatiently for year three to arrive

2. three years old

   Synonym: 三歳 (sansai)

The reading みとせ is less common and may be more restricted in usage than さんねん.

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN “さんねん 【三年】”
• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN “みとせ 【三歳・三年】”