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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing "year" as a duration with 年 (nián)

    Numbers & Quantity
    Time Expressions

    Structure

    Number + 年

    Explanation

    年 (nián) as a measure of duration means "year" in the sense of a span of time. When preceded by a number, it expresses how many years, as in 三年 (three years). Unlike its use as a calendar year, this usage emphasizes the length of a time period rather than a specific point in time.

    Examples

    • 她在国外生活了五年。

      Tā zài guówài shēnghuó le wǔ nián.

      She lived abroad for five years.

    • 我学中文已经两年了。

      Wǒ xué Zhōngwén yǐjīng liǎng nián le.

      I have been studying Chinese for two years.

    • 这个工程预计需要三年才能完成。

      Zhège gōngchéng yùjì xūyào sān nián cái néng wánchéng.

      This project is expected to take three years to complete.

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    Expressing "year" as a duration with 年 (nián) | Chinese Grammar