往年

wǎng nián

HSK 3.0 Level 6 Noun Rare

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Definitions

1. in former years
2. in previous years

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 今年 jīn nián 今年 jīn nián this year this year, contrasting with former years: this year

Related words

1 item

• 明年 míng nián 明年 míng nián next year next year, often used together when discussing different years: next year

Synonyms

2 items

• 以往 yǐ wǎng 以往 yǐ wǎng in the past refers to past times, interchangeable with 往年 in many contexts: in the past
• 早年 zǎo nián 早年 zǎo nián many years ago; in the past early years, sometimes overlaps with 往年 in meaning past years: many years ago; in the past

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not use 往年 to refer to a specific year in the past; for specific years, use 那一年 or the exact year. 往年 refers to former years in general.

Formality

往年 is slightly formal, often used in written language or formal speech when referring to past years in a general sense.

Example Sentences

1 shown

往年 的冬天比今年冷得多。

The winters in former years were much colder than this year.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 往年

• 年 年 nián: year
• 往 往 wǎng: to go (in a direction)