去年
qù nián HSK 2

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

去年我去了北京。
Qùnián wǒ qùle Běijīng.
I went to Beijing last year.
她去年很忙。
Tā qùnián hěn máng.
She was very busy last year.
去年是2023年。
Qùnián shì èr líng èr sān nián.
Last year was 2023.
我去年去了日本旅行。
Wǒ qùnián qùle Rìběn lǚxíng.
I traveled to Japan last year.
她去年从大学毕业。
Tā qùnián cóng dàxué bìyè.
She graduated from university the previous year.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 去 (qù) means 'to go' or 'past,' and 年 (nián) means 'year.' Think of it as 'the year that has gone by,' helping you remember it refers to the past year.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, as well as in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly used in everyday conversation, narratives, and reports to reference past events.

📖 Grammar Points

去年 is typically used as a time adverbial and placed at the beginning of a sentence or before the verb, e.g., '去年我去了北京' (Last year, I went to Beijing). It can also modify nouns, as in '去年的计划' (last year's plan).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, referencing specific years like '去年' is common in storytelling and personal reflections, especially during holidays or family gatherings when discussing past events. No strong cultural nuances are attached to this word.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to '上年' (shàngnián), which also means 'last year' but is slightly more formal and often used in written contexts like reports, '去年' is more colloquial and widely used in daily speech. '前年' (qiánnián) means 'the year before last,' referring to two years ago.

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