About
The character "龄", whose traditional form is "齡", combines the semantic component "齒" (tooth) with the phonetic component "令", indicating that its original meaning was associated with dental age as a measure of years. This association derived from ancient practices of estimating life stages through tooth growth and loss, which eventually generalized to signify age in a broader sense. Over centuries, the character's usage expanded beyond physical age to denote periods of time in various contexts, such as in the compound "工龄" referring to years of employment. The simplified form "龄" retains the phonetic "令" while adopting the simplified radical "齿" for "齒", preserving the core structural relationship between its elements.
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。