年 (nián) — year
HSK 1 | noun | a calendar year; also used in age and duration expressions
年 (nián)
The word for year, used in dates, durations, and ages; it functions as both a noun and a time measure word, so no additional measure word is needed (三年 = three years, not 三个年).
Meanings
- [noun] Year (calendar year or a period of 12 months).
- [noun] Age (in the sense of years of life, though 岁 is more common for age).
- [noun] New Year (in compounds: 新年, 过年).
Example Sentences
今年是二〇二六年。 Jīnnián shì èr líng èr liù nián. This year is 2026.
我学了三年汉语了。 Wǒ xuéle sān nián Hànyǔ le. I have studied Chinese for three years.
你是哪年出生的？ Nǐ shì nǎ nián chūshēng de? What year were you born?
新年快乐！ Xīnnián kuàilè! Happy New Year!
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今年 (jīnnián) | this year |
| 明年 (míngnián) | next year |
| 去年 (qùnián) | last year |
| 每年 (měinián) | every year |
| 新年 (xīnnián) | New Year |
| 几年 (jǐ nián) | how many years; a few years |
Memory Hook
年 contains the radical for "grain" at the top — the harvest cycle. One full harvest equals one year. Think of a farmer counting years by the number of harvests completed.