How to Write 岁 (suì) — Meaning “Year / Age”

Imagine a mountain (山) at sunset (夕) to mark the end of a year. The sunset behind the mountain reminds you that another year has passed. This visual scene helps link the components to the meaning 'year' or 'age'.

Write the mountain (山) first: vertical stroke, then the vertical fold, then the right vertical. Then add 夕: a left-falling stroke, a horizontal fold, and a dot. A common mistake is making the mountain too wide or placing the 夕 off-center—keep both parts balanced and roughly the same width.

The bottom part is key: 岁 has 夕 (evening), while 屹 has 乞 (beg) and 屺 has 己 (self). Their meanings also differ—岁 is about year/age, 屹 means 'towering,' and 屺 refers to a mountain without grass. Visually, remember that 岁's bottom looks like a crescent moon, not a person or a snake.

岁 is most common for asking age with 几岁 (how old, for children) and in words like 岁数 (age) and 万岁 (long live). Culturally, 岁 appears in New Year greetings such as 岁岁平安 (peace year after year). It is also used in official year terms, like 岁末 (end of the year).

Common words containing 岁 include: 几岁 (jǐ suì) — how old (for children); 岁数 (suì shù) — Age; 万岁 (wàn suì) — long live; Banzai.