About
The character "年" etymologically stems from an agricultural context where it originally denoted "harvest", a meaning still hinted at by the "禾" grain component in its structure, which is combined with "千" in its current form. This association with the harvest cycle led to the character being used to represent the period between harvests, thereby acquiring the meaning of "year". As Chinese society evolved, the term's usage broadened to encompass any twelve-month period, and it now commonly refers to calendar years, age, and annual celebrations, while its written form has remained consistent across both traditional and simplified systems.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
今年是虎年。
我的年龄是十岁。
去年我们去北京旅游了。
每年春节都很热闹。
青年人是国家的未来。
这部电影讲述了多年的故事。
如果今年下雨少，明年可能缺水。
经过多年的努力，他终于实现了自己的梦想。