晚年

• Pinyin: wǎn nián
• Hanzi breakdown: 晚 = 日 (sun) + 免 (phonetic); 年 = pictograph of a harvest, signifying a year

Meaning

One's later years; old age. The final stage of a person's life.

Refers to the later portion of a person's life, typically after retirement. Carries reflective or biographical connotations. Often used to describe how someone spent their final decades, or their circumstances in old age. Not used for animals or institutions.

Examples

1. 他把晚年的大部分时间都用于慈善事业，受到社会广泛赞誉。 He devoted most of his later years to charitable causes and received widespread praise from society.
2. 外祖父晚年移居乡下，在宁静中度过了最后的岁月。 His maternal grandfather moved to the countryside in his later years, spending his final years in peace and quiet.
3. 她的晚年生活并不孤独，儿女常常回来陪伴她。 Her life in her later years was not lonely — her children often came back to keep her company.

Usage Guide

Context: biography, family, social

Tone: reflective

Do Say

• 希望您晚年幸福安康。(I hope you enjoy happiness and good health in your later years.)
• 他晚年的作品风格更加沉稳深厚。(His work in his later years became more composed and profound in style.)

Don't Say

• 用晚年描述机构或物体的'晚期'，如'公司的晚年' — use 晚期 or 末期 for the late stages of an era, illness, or organisation; 晚年 is reserved for persons

Origin & History

Compound of 晚 (late) and 年 (year, years of life). Literally 'the late years' — one's advanced stage of life.

Cultural Context

Generation: Older adults

Social background: Universal