年薪

• Pinyin: nián xīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 年 = harvest/year; 薪 = 艹(grass/plant) + 新(new, phonetic) — originally firewood, now salary

Meaning

Annual salary; the total compensation paid to an employee over the course of one year.

Common in job advertisements, HR discussions, and financial planning. Often expressed as 年薪XX万 (annual salary of XX ten-thousand yuan). Related terms: 月薪 (monthly salary), 基本年薪 (base annual salary), 年薪制 (annual salary system). In China, annual salary packages may include bonuses and stock options.

Examples

1. 这家科技公司为高级工程师提供的年薪高达五十万元，远超行业平均水平。 This tech company offers senior engineers an annual salary as high as 500,000 yuan, far above the industry average.
2. 在谈判薪资时，求职者应综合考量年薪总额、奖金比例和股权激励等因素，而非只看基本工资。 When negotiating pay, job seekers should consider total annual compensation, bonus structure, and equity incentives—not just base salary.
3. 许多应届毕业生将年薪作为选择工作的首要标准，但职业发展空间同样不可忽视。 Many new graduates treat annual salary as the top criterion for choosing a job, but room for career growth is just as important.

Usage Guide

Context: HR, business, finance, job market

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在评估一份工作机会时，候选人不应仅关注年薪数字，还应综合考量企业文化、晋升通道、工作与生活的平衡以及长期职业发展前景等维度。(When evaluating a job opportunity, candidates should not focus solely on the annual salary figure but should also comprehensively consider corporate culture, promotion pathways, work-life balance, and long-term career development prospects.)
• 随着人工智能行业的快速扩张，相关领域顶尖人才的年薪水涨船高，部分企业为争夺关键岗位人才甚至提供了极为优厚的薪酬待遇。(With the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence industry, the annual salaries of top talent in relevant fields have risen sharply — some companies have even offered extremely generous compensation packages to compete for candidates in key positions.)

Don't Say

• 将'年薪'与'薪水'或'工资'混用而不考虑时间单位 — 年薪 specifically emphasises the annual total; if the context is about monthly pay, use 月薪; for general salary level, 薪资 or 工资 are more appropriate

Origin & History

年 (year) + 薪 (salary; classical meaning: firewood/fuel, then payment in kind, now salary). Annual compensation.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal