nin4 waa4年華年华
Jyutpingnin4 waa4
Yalenìhn wàh
Definition
The years or time in one's life; one's age or youth.
writtentimepeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the prime or youthful period of a person's life, carrying a poetic or slightly melancholic tone. It is rarely used in casual daily chatter and appears more frequently in literature, song lyrics, or when reflecting on the passage of time. Using it in a mundane context might sound overly dramatic or literary.
Measure word
dyun6段dyunhExamples
She dedicated the best years of her life to the company.
Watching myself grow old, I always feel a bit sentimental.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe simple chronological age or the number of years someone has lived, as it specifically evokes the concept of one's 'youthful prime' or 'fleeting time' rather than just a duration.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
