si4 nin4時年时年

Jyutpingsi4 nin4

Yalesìh nìhn

Definition

Old times, or a period of war and hardship.

old times; in those years
war era; difficult years of conflict

colloquialtime

How it's used

Refers specifically to a period of war or social upheaval rather than just any old time in the past. It carries a heavy, somber tone often used by older generations to describe hardship or scarcity. It is rarely used in casual conversation about personal history, functioning more as a historical reference point.

Examples

si4時nin4年go2嗰zan6陣sang1生wut6活hou2好gaan1艱naan4難。

Life was very difficult during those war years.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知si4時nin4年faat3發sang1生gwo3過me1咩si6事？

Do you know what happened during the war era?

Common phrases

si4時nin4年gaan1艱naan4難

hard times during the war

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 舊時, which is a neutral term for the past. Using 時年 to describe a happy childhood memory would sound bizarre and overly dramatic.