Meaning of 往年
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- in former years; in previous years
How to use 往年
往年 is used to compare the present with how things usually were in past years, often with 比 or 跟...一样. It sounds a bit more formal than everyday speech. Example: 今年的冬天比往年冷。(Jīnnián de dōngtiān bǐ wǎngnián lěng.) This winter is colder than in previous years.
往 (wǎng) means to go toward or past, and 年 (nián) means year. Put together, 往年 is the years that have already gone by.
Common mistake: Learners often use 往年 to mean 去年 (qùnián), but 往年 refers to past years in general, not one specific year. Also, do not confuse 往 (wǎng) with 住 (zhù, to live), which looks similar but has the person radical 亻 instead of 彳.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
往 wǎng · to go · 8 strokes
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年 nián · year · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 往年.
Questions about 往年
What does 往年 mean?
往年 (wǎngnián) means "in former years; in previous years" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 往年?
往年 is made of 2 characters: 往 (8 strokes), 年 (6 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 往年 an HSK word?
Yes. 往年 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 往年 and 以前?
以前 (yǐqián) means before or in the past in general and can refer to any time. 往年 specifically compares years, usually the typical situation in past years versus this year.
Can 往年 be used as a time word before a verb?
Yes. Like other time nouns, it can go at the start of a sentence or before the verb, as in 往年我们都回老家过年 (Wǎngnián wǒmen dōu huí lǎojiā guònián), In past years we always went back to our hometown for the New Year.