昨冬

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 昨冬 is read as さくとう; 昨 (last) and 冬 (winter) form a compact, literary time noun meaning last winter.
• Basic usage: Use 昨冬は to make that period the topic and 昨冬に植えた苗 to locate when seedlings were planted.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compact written expression
  • Its meaning is close to 去年の冬, but the single-word form 昨冬 is especially natural in written records and reports.
• Sequence across seasons
  • Seedlings planted last winter sprout later in spring, so the planting and development belong to different seasons.