Question 1

What does 年 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

年 (nián) means 'year' — the unit of time — and unlike most Chinese nouns it does NOT take a separate measure word. 年 is both the noun and its own counter: 一年 (one year), 两年 (two years), 十年 (ten years). The same rule applies to 天 (day), 月 (month for duration), and 周 (week). 年 also names the year itself in dates: 2024年 (the year 2024) is read 'èr líng èr sì nián'. Three usage notes for English speakers.

First, '...年级' means 'grade in school' (三年级 'third grade'). Second, 年 appears in many time expressions: 今年 (this year)

Question 2

How do you pronounce 年?

Accepted Answer

年 is pronounced nián — 年 (nián).

Question 3

Is 年 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

年 is a noun, register: neutral.

Question 4

What's the difference between 年 and 岁?

Accepted Answer

岁 (years old, for age) vs. 年 (year, for time spans/dates). Beginners mix these up constantly: 我今年二十岁 (this year I am 20 years old) uses both correctly.

Question 5

What's the difference between 年 and 天?

Accepted Answer

天 = day. Like 年, it doesn't take a measure word: 一天 (one day), 三天 (three days). Different time unit, same counting pattern.

年

What does 年 mean?

Character breakdown

Example sentences

Common phrases with 年

Synonyms

Don't confuse 年 with

FAQ

Hear 年 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.