The word 岁月 (suìyuè) is a classical Chinese binome, or compound word, formed by combining two synonymous characters related to time: 岁 (suì), which originally meant "Jupiter" and came to signify a "year" or "age", and 月 (yuè), which means "moon" or "month". Together, they create a single, poetic concept that is greater than the sum of its parts. Instead of literally meaning "years and months", the combination metaphorically abstracts into the enduring, flowing, and often relentless passage of time, evoking a sense of elapsed years, bygone eras, and the vicissitudes of life. This formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two related characters are joined to express a broad, nuanced, and frequently sentimental idea.