Meaning of 年初
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- beginning of the year
How to use 年初
年初 is a time word that usually comes before the verb or at the start of a sentence, often after a year like 今年 or 明年. Example: 我明年年初去北京。(Wǒ míngnián niánchū qù Běijīng.) I am going to Beijing at the beginning of next year.
年 (nián) means year and 初 (chū) means beginning or first, so 年初 is simply the start of the year. Think of 初 as the first page of a new calendar.
Common mistake: Learners often say 在年初的时候 when plain 年初 is enough, or they put 年初 at the end of the sentence like English. Also keep the tones clear: nián is second tone and chū is first tone, not chù.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
年 nián · year · 6 strokes
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初 chū · at first · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 年初.
Questions about 年初
What does 年初 mean?
年初 (niánchū) means "beginning of the year" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 年初?
年初 is made of 2 characters: 年 (6 strokes), 初 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 年初 an HSK word?
Yes. 年初 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 年初?
The opposite is 年底 (niándǐ) or 年末 (niánmò), meaning the end of the year. You can also say 年中 (niánzhōng) for the middle of the year.
Is 年初 the same as 新年?
No. 新年 (xīnnián) is the New Year holiday or the new year itself, while 年初 is a period of time, roughly the first weeks or months of the year. You celebrate 新年, but you plan things for 年初.