歲 meaning and stroke order
Year; years old, age; harvest
How to write 歲, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 歲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- classifier for years (of age)
- year
- year (of crop harvests)
How 歲 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 止 (to stop), shared by 12 characters on this site.
How to remember 歲
歲 has 止 (zhǐ, foot or stop) on top and 戊 (wù), which looks like an old weapon, wrapped around the bottom. Picture footsteps marching past a weapon-shaped tool used at harvest time: each harvest that passes marks one more year.
歲 is the traditional form of 岁 and is used as a classifier for age, placed right after the number. It also appears in words about time and longevity, like 岁月 (suìyuè, years, time) and 万岁 (wànsuì, long live). Example: 我今年二十歲。(Wǒ jīnnián èrshí suì.) I am twenty years old this year.
Common mistake: Learners often say 二十年 (èrshí nián) when they mean twenty years old. 年 (nián) counts a length of time, while 歲 (suì) gives a person's age. Also keep the fourth tone in suì, and do not confuse it with 碎 (suì, broken), which sounds the same.
Common words with 歲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 歲月 | suìyuè | years; time | HSK 5 |
| 歲數 | suìshu | age (number of years old) | HSK 6 |
| 萬歲 | wànsuì | Long live (the king, the revolution etc)!; Your Majesty | |
| 幾歲 | jǐsuì | how old are you? (familiar, or to a child) | |
| 長命百歲 | chángmìngbǎisuì | (idiom) to live to be a hundred years old (often used as a blessing or wish for longevity) |
Characters that contain 歲
Learning 歲 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 歲
How many strokes are in 歲?
歲 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 歲 mean?
歲 (suì) means year; years old, age; harvest. A common word with it is 岁月 (suìyuè), meaning "years; time".
How do you pronounce 歲?
歲 is pronounced suì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 歲?
The radical of 歲 is 止, which carries the idea of "to stop". Dictionaries list 歲 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 歲?
歲 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 岁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Do you need 是 before 歲 when saying your age?
No. Chinese usually drops 是 here, so you say 他八歲 (tā bā suì), he is eight. Adding 是 is possible for emphasis but sounds less natural in everyday speech.
Is 几岁 (jǐsuì) polite to ask any adult?
Not really. 几岁 is for children or very casual talk. For adults, 多大 (duō dà) is common, and for older people 您多大年纪 (nín duō dà niánjì) is more respectful.