Definition
百年 literally means 'a hundred years', but it's also used figuratively to mean 'a lifetime' — especially in marriage wishes like 百年好合 ('harmony for a hundred years') and in idioms about long-term planning (百年树人 'cultivating talent for a hundred years'). It appears in both literal time expressions (百年之前 'a hundred years ago') and poetic/historical contexts.
n.
a hundred yearscentury(figurative) a lifetime (e.g. in marriage blessings or long-term vision)
Examples
- 百年。Zhè zuò jiànzhù yǐ yǒu bǎi nián lìshǐ le.This building already has a history of a hundred years.
- 百年，。Zhù nǐmen bǎi nián hǎo hé, báitóu xié lǎo.Wishing you a harmonious century together and to grow old together.
- 百年，。bǎi nián zhīqián, zhèlǐ hái shì yí piàn huāng dì.A hundred years ago, this place was still a barren land.
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