年
year; age; period; New Year
Meanings
11 senses · 55 examplesnoun
year (unit of time)
Used to refer to the calendar year, typically 365 days (366 in a leap year).
This year is 2023.
I went to Beijing last year.
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We plan to get married next year.
A common year has 365 days, and a leap year has 366 days.
There is a leap year every four years.
measure word
year (for counting years)
Used as a measure word for periods of time in years.
I studied in China for three years.
He has lived here for five years.
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We'll meet again in three to five years.
This project will take two years to complete.
She worked abroad for ten years.
adjective
annual; yearly
Used as a prefix meaning annual or yearly.
Our company has an annual meeting every year.
This year's annual output has increased compared to last year.
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The yearbook records the important events of a year.
This is our annual report.
The annual plan has been formulated.
noun
age; years
Refers to a person's age or years of life.
His age is thirty years old.
She looks younger than her actual age.
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We should respect the elderly.
Although he is old, he is very healthy.
Prolonging life is a wish of many people.
noun
stage of life
Refers to different life stages based on age.
Childhood is the happiest time in life.
He is in his youth.
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Middle age brings heavy responsibilities.
More care is needed in old age.
One should study hard in adolescence.
noun
period; era
Refers to a particular period or era in history.
Great changes have taken place in modern China.
The late Ming Dynasty was a time of social unrest.
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People lived very hard lives in that era.
China's economy developed rapidly during the reform and opening-up period.
We should remember that difficult era.
noun
harvest; crop yield
Refers to the annual crop yield or harvest.
This year's harvest is very good; it's a bumper year.
Last year was a poor harvest year, and there wasn't enough food.
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Farmers all hope for a good harvest.
When the harvest is bad, farmers have a hard life.
This rain is good for the harvest.
noun
New Year; Lunar New Year
Refers to the New Year festival, especially the Lunar New Year.
Happy New Year!
We go home every year to celebrate the New Year.
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During the New Year, the whole family will reunite.
I pay New Year's respects to my grandparents.
The Spring Festival is China's most important New Year festival.
adjective
New Year's (for festival items)
Used to describe items related to the New Year festival.
We need to prepare New Year's goods for the festival.
Rice cakes are a traditional food for the Spring Festival.
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The walls are covered with New Year paintings.
We bought a lot of New Year's goods, including candy, melon seeds and fruits.
New Year paintings usually have auspicious patterns.
noun
fellow student (in imperial examinations)
archaicRefers to the relationship between people who passed the imperial examination in the same year, now archaic.
They passed the imperial examination in the same year and have a friendship based on that.
How have you been recently, fellow examinee brother?
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In ancient times, those who passed the imperial examination in the same year called each other 'fellow examinee brothers'.
Their friendship as fellow examinees lasted for many years.
Fellow examinee relationships were very important during the imperial examination era.
noun
surname Nian
Used as a surname.
His surname is Nian, and his name is Nian Qiang.
Mr. Nian is my teacher.
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The surname Nian is not very common in China.
Miss Nian is a new colleague.
I have a friend whose surname is Nian.