老年
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
老年 (lǎonián) · old age
老年 (lǎonián) means “old age; elderly”. It is written with 2 characters: 老 (old) + 年 (year). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 老年 is built
The characters
老 lǎo · old
What 老 is made of
- 耂lǎo — old
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 匕bǐ — spoon
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: A person bent over with long hair 匕 and a crutch; compare 耂 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
年 nián · year
What 年 is made of
- 干gàn — dry (gān)
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
Origin hint: A man 干 carrying grain, representing the annual harvest (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
老年人要多运动。Lǎonián rén yào duō yùndòng.Elderly people should exercise more.
他老年的时候住在海边。Tā lǎonián de shíhou zhù zài hǎibiān.In his old age he lived by the sea.
Questions about 老年
What does 老年 mean?
老年 (lǎonián) means “old age; elderly”.
How do you pronounce 老年?
老年 is pronounced lǎonián.
Which HSK level is 老年?
老年 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 老人lǎorénold person
- 老师lǎoshīteacher
- 老朋友lǎo péngyouold friend
- 老是lǎoshialways
- 老百姓lǎobǎixìngordinary people
- 老板lǎobǎnboss
- 老太太lǎotàitaiold lady
- 老头儿lǎotóurold man (informal)
- 老公lǎogōnghusband
- 老家lǎojiāhometown
Learn 老年 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 29: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.