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年
nián
year
今年是二零二三年。
This year is 2023.
general
A unit of time equal to 365 days (or 366 in a leap year), divided into 12 months, based on the Earth's orbit around the Sun.
他工作了五年。
He has worked for five years.
新年快乐！
Happy New Year!
年 is used in both the Gregorian calendar (e.g., 2023年) and traditional Chinese lunar calendar (e.g., 农历新年).
figurative
A period of time characterized by a particular quality or event; age or era.
童年是最快乐的时光。
Childhood is the happiest time.
这是一个科技发展的新年。
This is a new era of technological development.
Often used metaphorically to describe phases of life or historical periods.
general
Age; years of life.
他今年三十岁。
He is thirty years old this year.
年 can also refer to age, especially in contexts like 今年 or 明年.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 年 and 岁
年 refers to the calendar year or a period of time (e.g., 今年 'this year'), while 岁 refers to age (e.g., 他三岁 'he is three years old').
Gold Rule
Year in Dates
In written Chinese, the year is followed by 年 (e.g., 2023年). In spoken Chinese, 年 is often omitted when the context is clear.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese 年 (*niːŋ), originally depicting a person carrying a harvest (象形字, depicting a person with a sickle or grain in hand), later extended to mean 'harvest' and then 'year' as seasons cycle annually.
Usage Notes
年 is a common noun used in dates, ages, and time expressions. In formal writing, it often follows the year number (e.g., 二零二三年). In spoken Chinese, 年 is often omitted in dates (e.g., 二零二三 instead of 二零二三年).
Word Breakdown
人 (亻)
person
root干 (gān)
stem or handle
root汉英词典