년
nyeon[ɲʌ̹n]
In Korean, 'years' is expressed as 년 (nyeon).
년 is used to refer to units of time equal to 365 days. It is frequently paired with the word 몇 (how many) to form the phrase 몇 년, which means 'how many years'.
Which one should you use?
While 년 is used for durations of time, such as 'three years', the native Korean word 살 is used specifically for counting a person's age.
How do you pronounce it?
nyeon
Did you know?
- In Korean, the word 년 can also function as a derogatory or highly informal way to refer to a woman, depending on the context and tone used.
- In the traditional Korean age system, a person is considered one 살 the moment they are born. This means a newborn is already one year old.
- When celebrating a first birthday, Koreans use the specific term 돌 instead of the standard counter for years. This marks a culturally significant milestone in a child's life.
Examples in context
- 보스턴에서 몇 년 동안 살았어?How many years did you live in Boston?This sentence is useful for asking about a duration of time using 년.Tatoeba #8426751 by Eunhee, translation #8424473 by CK
- 톰은 과거 삼 년동안 감옥에 있었어.Tom has spent the past three years in prison.This sentence demonstrates using 년 to express a duration of time.Tatoeba #8364903 by Eunhee, translation #3619357 by CK
- 내가 프랑스어 공부를 시작한지 삼 년이 됐어.It's been three years since I began studying French.This sentence shows how to use 년 to express a period of time that has elapsed.Tatoeba #8363889 by Eunhee, translation #2712535 by CK
- 2010년에 개봉했어.It was released in 2010.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about how long they have lived in Seoul.
- 서연 Seo-yeon서울에서 몇 년 살았어?Seoul-eseo myeot nyeon sarasseo?How many years have you lived in Seoul?
- 도현 Do-hyeon음, 오 년 정도 살았어.Eum, o nyeon jeongdo sarasseo.Hmm, I have lived here for about five years.
- 서연 Seo-yeon와, 정말 오래 살았네!Wa, jeongmal orae saratne!Wow, you have lived here for a long time!
- 도현 Do-hyeon응, 이제 거의 서울 사람이야.Eung, ije geoui Seoul saram-iya.Yeah, I'm practically a Seoulite now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 년, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
