年迈

• Pinyin: nián mài
• Hanzi breakdown: 年 = pictograph of harvest/year; 迈 = 辶(movement) + 万(ten thousand, phonetic) — to stride, to advance

Meaning

Elderly; aged; advanced in years. Describes someone who is old, especially to the point where physical decline is evident.

A respectful or formal term for old age, used primarily in written and formal contexts. Often collocates with 父母 (parents), 长辈 (elders), 老人 (elderly people). Implies a degree of physical frailty associated with advanced age. More literary and dignified than 老 alone.

Examples

1. 他年迈的父亲已届八旬，仍坚持每天清晨在公园里散步，保持规律的生活习惯。 His elderly father is already in his eighties, yet he still insists on taking a walk in the park every morning and keeping a regular routine.
2. 这位年迈的学者虽已退休多年，却依然笔耕不辍，每年都有新的研究成果问世。 This elderly scholar has been retired for many years, yet he continues to write without pause, producing new research results every year.
3. 社会应当为年迈的老人提供更完善的医疗和养老保障，让他们安享晚年。 Society should provide older adults with better medical care and eldercare support so they can enjoy their later years in comfort.

Usage Guide

Context: social welfare, family, medicine, literature

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 政府出台了一系列针对年迈老人的优惠政策，包括免费医疗检查、公共交通减免以及社区养老服务补贴，以切实改善他们的生活质量。(The government has introduced a series of preferential policies targeting the elderly, including free medical check-ups, public transport subsidies, and community care service grants, to genuinely improve their quality of life.)
• 尽管年迈体衰，这位老教授依然思维敏捷、谈吐清晰，其渊博学识令在场的年轻学者深感钦佩。(Despite being elderly and physically weakened, this veteran professor still has sharp thinking and clear speech — his vast erudition commands deep admiration from the young scholars present.)

Don't Say

• 在随意场合以'年迈'当面称呼他人 — 年迈 can imply physical decline and may be perceived as blunt in face-to-face contexts; use 年长 or 长辈 for respectful reference to elders in speech

Origin & History

年 (year/age) + 迈 (to stride/advance; also means advanced in age in classical Chinese). Together: advanced in years.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal