Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 年 | nián | /ni̯ɛn³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nʲiɛn²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 年頭 / 年头 | niántóu | colloquial | |
| 年 | nî, liân | /nĩ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Penang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /nĩ²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Penang, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the time it takes for the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun. While 年 is the most standard and widely used word for 'year' in Mandarin Chinese, it is important to distinguish it from terms regarding age. To express how many years old a person or an animal is, use 岁 (suì) rather than 年.
Which one should you use?
The colloquial form 年头 (niántóu) or 年頭 is used specifically to refer to the beginning or the start of a year or a specific period of time.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word is нян. In Hokkien, the word is 年 (nî, liân). In certain regions such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, the traditional variant 歲 is used when referring to 'years old'. In some southern Chinese dialects, such as Cantonese, 年紀 is used specifically to refer to a person's age.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 年 is nián.
Did you know?
- The character 年 was not originally about time, but about agriculture. It was originally written with the character for 'grain' to represent a 'harvest'.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of a 'year' is deeply tied to the lunar calendar, leading to the tradition of the Zodiac. Each 年 is assigned one of twelve animals, such as the Snake, which influences cultural expectations for that year.
- The phrase 年頭 is used to describe the 'start' of a year, but it can also be used colloquially to describe the 'conditions' or 'atmosphere' of a specific period of time.
Examples in context
- 蛇年开始了。The Year of the Snake has begun.This sentence is useful for mentioning the start of the Year of the Snake with 年.Tatoeba #3377935 by GlossaMatik, translation #13542206 by LeviHighway
- 她去年出生。She was born last year.This sentence is useful for stating someone was born in a previous year with 年.Tatoeba #5907629 by verdastelo9604, translation #313842 by CK
- 一年有四季。There are four seasons in one year.This sentence is useful for describing the seasons within a single year with 年.Tatoeba #6098476 by verdastelo9604, translation #1010134 by allmarangie
- 我们明年要去中国。We are going to China next year.
- 他已经在这个城市住了五年了。He has been living in this city for five years.
- 他今年十岁了。He is ten years old this year.
- 我的猫已经十六岁了。My cat is already sixteen years old.
- 你还记得2010年的事情吗？Do you still remember what happened in 2010?
- 我今年十九歲。I am nineteen years old this year.
- 346 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their plans for the upcoming year.
- 俊杰 Junjie你明年要去哪里旅游？nǐ míngnián yào qù nǎlǐ lǚyóu?Where are you going to travel next year?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想去日本玩一年。wǒ xiǎng qù rìběn wán yī nián.I want to spend a year having fun in Japan.
- 俊杰 Junjie一年时间太长了！yī nián shíjiān tài cháng le!One year is too long!
- 雨婷 Yuting那我只去一个月就好。nà wǒ zhǐ qù yī gè yuè jiù hǎo.Then I'll just go for one month.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “year” translations and entries 年, 年, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 年, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
