壮年 (zhuàng nián) — prime of life; robust middle age (roughly ages 30–50)

Definition

Literary/formal term for the prime of life, roughly ages 30–50 when a person is at peak health and career strength. Pairs naturally with 时光 ('days of') in a more written, reflective tone than everyday words like 中年.

noun
prime of liferobust middle age (roughly ages 30–50)

Examples

  • 壮年，。
    Tā zhèng chǔ yú zhuàng nián, shēn tǐ hé jīng lì dōu hěn hǎo.
    He is in the prime of life, with excellent health and energy.
  • 壮年。
    zhuàng nián Shì yí gè rén shì yè fā zhǎn de guān jiàn shí qī.
    The prime of life is a crucial period for career development.
  • 壮年。
    Yé ye cháng cháng huí yì zì jǐ de zhuàng nián shí guāng.
    Grandpa often recalls his days in the prime of life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

壮zhuàngstrong
年niányears

壮 suggests strong and vigorous, while 年 refers to years of age, giving the sense of the vigorous prime years.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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