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连年 (lián nián) — to continue for successive years; to last year after year

Definition

连年 emphasizes something recurring or continuing over many years in a row (drought, earthquakes, harvest). It differs from 连续, which means continuously without a break in time/sequence.

verb
to continue for successive yearsto last year after year

Examples

  • ，连年。
    Yóu yú qì hòu biàn nuǎn, běi fāng gān hàn lián nián.
    Due to climate change, drought in the north continues for years.
  • 连年，。
    Zhè ge dì qū de dì zhèn lián nián, jū mín kǔ bù kān yán.
    Earthquakes in this region continue year after year, making residents miserable.
  • 连年，。
    Tā de yán jiū chéng guǒ lián nián, huò dé le guó jì rèn kě.
    His research results continue year after year, gaining international recognition.

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.

连liánconsecutive
年niányear

连 adds the idea of consecutive to 年, giving year after year.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 連; 连 is its simplified writing.

  • 辶辵chuòto walk
  • 車車jūchariot

The traditional form 連 joins 辶 (walk) and 車 (chariot) to show a man-drawn carriage; this note is about 連, not the simplified 连.

Open 连 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6

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