nin4 gwaan1年關年关

Jyutpingnin4 gwaan1

Yalenìhn gwāan

名詞

Definition

The period near the end of the lunar year, often considered a busy or difficult time.

colloquialtimemoney

How it's used

Historically, this term carries a sense of urgency or pressure, as it was the traditional deadline for settling debts before the start of the new year. While it still refers to the period leading up to the Lunar New Year, it is now often used more broadly to describe the stress of finishing tasks or meeting financial obligations before the holiday begins.

Examples

nin4年gwaan1關zau6就dou3到，zung6仲jau5有hou2好do1多je5嘢mei6未gaau2搞dim6掂。

The end of the year is approaching, and there are still many things left to finish.

nei5你gam1今nin4年nin4年gwaan1關dim2點joeng2樣gwo3過aa4呀？

How are you spending the end of the year?

Common phrases

nin4年gwaan1關naan4難gwo3過

the end of the year is hard to get through

nin4年gwaan1關zoeng1將gan6近

the end of the year is drawing near

Common mistake

Do not use this for the end of the calendar year on December 31st, as it specifically relates to the lunar calendar. It is also not a general term for any busy period, but is tied to the cultural expectation of clearing accounts and preparing for the new year.