About
The character "龄", which now almost exclusively denotes a person's age or years, is a relatively modern formation in the history of Chinese writing, derived from its traditional counterpart "齡". Its structure is a clear example of the phonetic-semantic principle, combining the radical "齿" (tooth) on the left to provide semantic context related to the body and growth, with the component "令" on the right serving primarily to indicate pronunciation. This construction reflects an ancient association between teeth and aging, observable in certain classical texts where dental growth or loss was metaphorically linked to life stages. Over time, the character's meaning generalized and solidified, moving from this specific physiological metaphor to become the standard, polite counter for years of life, thereby absorbing and formalizing the concept of age into a single, stable graph.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的年龄是二十岁。
孩子到了上学的年龄。
他的工龄有五年了。
姐姐的年龄比我大。
因为年龄不够，他不能开车。
适龄儿童都应该上学。
虽然他的工龄很长，但年龄并不大。
根据树龄推测，这棵古树已有三百多年了。