year; period of time; era; harvest
Meanings
4 senses · 12 examplesnoun
year (as a count); calendar year
informalUsed to count the number of years. The '儿' (ér) suffix is often added in spoken Northern Mandarin.
I have been in Beijing for three years now.
This project has been going on for almost two years.
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He has been with this company for five years.
noun
period of time (in years); number of years
informalEmphasizes the duration or length of time, often implying it's been a long time.
He has been in this line of work for quite some time.
We've known each other for a good number of years.
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This old building has been around for quite a while.
noun
times; era; period
informalRefers to the general character or social norms of a specific time period. Often used in phrases like '这年头儿' (these days).
That old-fashioned way of doing things is not popular these days.
That was a difficult era; life was hard for everyone.
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In this day and age, information spreads so quickly.
noun
harvest year; crop year
Refers to the condition and yield of crops for a particular year.
It's been a good year for the harvest; the wheat yield is 20-30% higher than last year.
If it's a bad harvest year, the farmers will have a hard time.
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Last year was a bumper harvest year.