年

• 拼音: nián
• 汉字拆解: 年 = originally a pictograph of a person carrying grain, symbolising the annual harvest

含义

Year. Used to count years and in dates. Also a measure word for years.

One of the most essential time words. Used in dates (2024年), to count years (三年), and in many compounds like 今年 (this year), 明年 (next year), 去年 (last year), 新年 (New Year). Also the name of the mythological beast in Chinese New Year legends.

例句

1. 今年是二零二六年。
2. 我学了两年中文。
3. 新年快乐！

用法指南

语境: time, everyday

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 你来中国几年了？(How many years have you been in China?)
• 去年我去了北京。(I went to Beijing last year.)

错误说法

• 三个年。(Wrong measure word — 年 is itself a measure word for years; say 三年, not 三个年)

起源与历史

Originally a pictograph of a person carrying grain, representing the harvest cycle — one full year of farming. The character later came to represent the concept of a year.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal