{"id":23487,"date":"2024-01-25T19:12:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T11:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wukongsch.com\/blog\/?p=23487"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:29:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T03:29:20","slug":"years-in-chinese-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wukongsch.com\/blog\/years-in-chinese-characters-post-23487\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say & Write Years in Chinese: Complete 2026 Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Learning how to express years in Chinese is one of the most foundational, practical skills for Mandarin learners. Whether you\u2019re writing a date, talking about your birth year, celebrating Chinese New Year, or reading a historical text, you\u2019ll need to master how to read, pronounce, and write years correctly in Chinese.
If you\u2019ve ever wondered why Chinese people say \u201c\u00e8r l\u00edng \u00e8r li\u00f9 ni\u00e1n\u201d for 2026 instead of a whole number like English, this guide is for you. We\u2019ll break down the simple rules for saying years in Mandarin, different writing formats, cultural context around the Chinese zodiac, and common mistakes to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/span>The Core Character for Year in Chinese: \u5e74 (ni\u00e1n)<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive into rules for years, let\u2019s start with the most essential word you\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n