年
nián
grain
harvest (old); variant of 年[nian2]
a picture of 年 → a grain stalk bending under the weight of a harvest
The character originally depicted a person carrying a bundle of ripened grain stalks. Over time it shifted from 'harvest' to 'year', since a year was naturally measured by one harvest cycle.
Words with 年
逐年
zhú nián
year after year
这年头
zhè nián tou
(coll.) nowadays
逢年过节
féng nián guò jié
during holidays and festivals; on festive occasions such as New Year
连年
lián nián
successive years
周年
zhōu nián
anniversary
过年
guò nián
to celebrate the Chinese New Year
遐年
xiá nián
a great age
遗臭万年
yí chòu wàn nián
to have one's name go down in history as a byword for infamy (idiom)
都什么年代了
dōu shén me nián dài le
What decade are you living in?
郑人争年
zhèng rén zhēng nián
a futile quarrel
长年
cháng nián
all the year round
长年累月
cháng nián lěi yuè
year in, year out (idiom)