How to Write 年 (nián) — Meaning “Year”

Picture a farmer (人) holding a bundle of wheat (禾) in the field, celebrating the harvest that happens once a year. The long vertical stroke through the middle can remind you of a calendar date line. This mental image links the parts to the meaning 'year'.

Start with a short left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal, a vertical, two more horizontals, and finally a long vertical stroke. Common mistakes include making the first stroke too long or writing the final vertical shorter than the top section. Keep the middle three horizontal strokes evenly spaced and the final vertical straight.

年 has a left-falling stroke (丿) at the top left, while 并 starts with a dot (丶). The bottom of 年 is a single vertical stroke, but 并 has a left-falling and vertical crossing. 幸 has a top resembling 土 (earth) with two horizontal lines, whereas 年's top is like 禾 (grain) with one diagonal stroke.

年 means 'year' and appears in common words like 今年 (this year), 去年 (last year), and 年级 (grade in school). It is also central to festivals such as 过年 (celebrate the New Year) and 新年 (New Year). Culturally, the Spring Festival (春节) is the most important holiday linked to 年.

Common words containing 年 include: 今年 (jīn nián) — This year.; 去年 (qù nián) — last year; 年级 (nián jí) — Grade.