常年

• Pinyin: cháng nián
• Hanzi breakdown: 常 = 尚 (still) + 巾 (cloth) — constant; 年 = pictograph of grain harvest — year

Meaning

Year-round; perennially; for years on end. Describes something that continues throughout the year or over many years.

Can function as an adverb meaning 'all year round' or 'for years' to describe continuous activities or states. Also used as a noun to refer to a normal or average year in contexts like agriculture or statistics. Often emphasizes persistence or constancy over time.

Examples

1. 云南昆明常年气候温和，被称为春城。 Kunming in Yunnan has mild weather year-round and is called the Spring City.
2. 他常年在外地出差，跟家人聚少离多。 He travels for work year-round and rarely gets to spend time with his family.
3. 这家公司常年招聘技术人才，从不间断。 This company recruits technical talent all year without interruption.

Usage Guide

Context: weather, work, lifestyle

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他常年坚持锻炼，身体非常好。(He exercises year-round and is in great shape.)
• 这里常年下雨，记得带伞。(It rains here all year, remember to bring an umbrella.)

Don't Say

• 我常年去了一次北京。(常年 implies continuity — for a single trip, use 去年 or 有一年)

Origin & History

Compound of 常 (constant, often) and 年 (year). Together they express the idea of something continuing throughout the year or persisting over many years.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal