nin4 sang1年生

Jyutpingnin4 sang1

Yalenìhn sāng

Uncommon

Definition

Born in a certain year, or referring to the year of someone's birth.

neutralpeopletime

How it's used

This term is primarily used in formal contexts like filling out official forms or stating one's age in a professional setting. In casual daily conversation, people almost always use 出世 instead, such as 問人幾時出世. Using 年生 in a chat with friends can sound slightly stiff or like you are reading from a document.

Examples

nei5你hai6係gei2幾do1多nin4年sang1生㗎？

What year were you born in?

keoi5佢hai6係gau2九leng4零nin4年sang1生，daai6大gwo3過ngo5我hou2好do1多。

He was born in 1990, he is much older than me.

Common phrases

gei2幾do1多nin4年sang1生

what year born

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage. In Cantonese, it is far more natural to use 出世 for birth, and 年生 is restricted to specific contexts involving years.