This is the 8781st most frequent Dutch word.
jaartje
A diminutive of "jaar," meaning "a little year" or "a year," often used to imply it feels short or insignificant.
In this sentence, 'jaartje' is used to refer to a relatively short and specific period of one year, emphasizing a sense of relativity, perhaps making the duration feel manageable or brief.
Na een jaartje begon hij zich thuis te voelen in het nieuwe huis.
After a year, he began to feel at home in the new house.
Here, 'jaartje' emphasizes the duration of the year as being a single, noteworthy unit of time, perhaps highlighting how much was accomplished in a contained time span.
Ik heb in dat jaartje zoveel geleerd.
In that single year, I learned so much.
The term 'jaartje' in this context is used in a diminutive, perhaps implying a casual or non-specific attitude toward the selection based on alignment of plans.