同岁 (tóng suì) — same age (predicative or attributive)

Definition

A predicative or attributive phrase meaning 'the same age' — used to compare ages between people, e.g. 我们同岁. Unlike 同学, it is not a fixed social-role title.

noun
same age (predicative or attributive)

Examples

  • 同岁，1990。
    Wǒ men liǎ tóng suì, dōu shì 1990 nián chū shēng de.
    We two are the same age; both born in 1990.
  • 同岁。
    tóng suì De péng you zǒng yǒu hěn duō gòng tóng huà tí.
    Friends of the same age always have a lot in common to talk about.
  • ，同岁。
    Tā men suī rán bù tóng bān, dàn tóng suì.
    They are not in the same class, but they are the same age.

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.

同tóngsame
岁suìage

“同” means same, and “岁” denotes age.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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 歲; 岁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
步步bù
Sound part声符shēngfú
戉
戉yuè歲suì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 歲, the part 步 shows movement over time, and 戉 gives the sound; this explanation is about 歲, not the simplified 岁.

Open 岁 →

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