qùnián: 去年 - Last Year

• Keywords: qunian, 去年, last year in Chinese, how to say last year in Mandarin, Chinese time words, 前年, 今年, 明年, time in Chinese, Mandarin vocabulary, HSK 1 words
• Summary: Learn how to say “last year” in Chinese with the word 去年 (qùnián). This guide provides a deep dive into its meaning, character origins, and cultural context. Discover how to use this essential HSK 1 time word correctly in sentences, understand its nuances compared to similar terms like 前年 (qiánnián), and master one of the most fundamental concepts for talking about the past in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qùnián
• Part of Speech: Time Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: The calendar year immediately preceding the current one.
• In a Nutshell: 去年 (qùnián) is the most common and direct way to say “last year” in Mandarin. It's a foundational time word, just like “yesterday” or “tomorrow.” The characters literally translate to “the gone-by year,” making it very logical and easy to remember. It's used to place any event, story, or fact in the specific timeframe of the previous calendar year.

• 去 (qù): This character means “to go,” “to leave,” or “to depart.” In the context of time, it signifies something that has passed or is “gone.” Think of it as the year that has already left.
• 年 (nián): This character means “year.” Its ancient form is thought to be a pictogram of a person carrying a stalk of harvested grain, representing the annual agricultural cycle and the passage of a full year.

When combined, 去年 (qùnián) creates a very clear and literal meaning: “the year that has gone.” This simple combination makes it one of the easiest time words for beginners to learn and use.

While a straightforward time word, 去年 (qùnián) taps into a subtle aspect of the Chinese perception of time. The characters 去 (qù - to go) and its counterparts in words like 明年 (míngnián - next year, lit. “bright year”) and 未来 (wèilái - future, lit. “not yet come”) frame time as something that flows and has direction. It's not just a static label but a dynamic process. The “gone year” (去年) is behind us, while the “not yet come” future (未来) is ahead. This contrasts slightly with the more abstract English “last year” or “next year.” The Chinese construction gives a tangible sense of movement. Furthermore, looking back at the 去年 is an important cultural practice, especially around the Lunar New Year (春节 - Chūnjié). It is a time for both individuals and businesses to summarize the achievements and failures of the “gone year” before welcoming the new one. This act of reflection is a key part of bidding farewell to the old and embracing the new.

去年 (qùnián) is an extremely common, neutral word used in all contexts, from casual conversation to formal business reports. A crucial grammar point for beginners is its placement in a sentence. Unlike English, where “last year” can often be placed at the end, Chinese time words like 去年 almost always come after the subject and before the verb. Correct Structure: Subject + 去年 + Verb + Object.

• e.g., 我 去年 去了北京。(Wǒ qùnián qùle Běijīng.) - I went to Beijing last year.

Incorrect Structure: 我去了北京去年。 (Wǒ qùle Běijīng qùnián.) It can also be placed at the very beginning of a sentence to establish the timeframe for the entire statement, which is also very common.

• e.g., 去年，我换了新工作。( Qùnián, wǒ huànle xīn gōngzuò.) - Last year, I changed to a new job.

• Example 1:
  • 我去年大学毕业了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ qùnián dàxué bìyè le.
  • English: I graduated from university last year.
  • Analysis: A simple, common statement about a past life event. The structure is Subject + Time + Verb.
• Example 2:
  • 你去年去了哪里旅游？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ qùnián qùle nǎlǐ lǚyóu?
  • English: Where did you travel last year?
  • Analysis: A typical question using 去年 to ask about past experiences.
• Example 3:
  • 去年的冬天特别冷。
  • Pinyin: Qùnián de dōngtiān tèbié lěng.
  • English: Last year's winter was especially cold.
  • Analysis: Here, 去年 is used with “的 (de)” to modify a noun (“winter”), meaning “last year's…”.
• Example 4:
  • 我们公司去年的业绩很好。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī qùnián de yèjì hěn hǎo.
  • English: Our company's performance last year was very good.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in a business context. Again, “去年 + 的” modifies “业绩” (performance).
• Example 5:
  • 这部电影是去年上映的。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng shì qùnián shàngyìng de.
  • English: This movie was released last year.
  • Analysis: This uses the “是…的 (shì…de)” construction to emphasize the time when an action took place.
• Example 6:
  • 他去年没回过家。
  • Pinyin: Tā qùnián méi huí guo jiā.
  • English: He didn't go back home at all last year.
  • Analysis: A negative sentence. Note that “没 (méi)” is used for past negation, not “不 (bù)”.
• Example 7:
  • 去年这个时候，我们还在上海。
  • Pinyin: Qùnián zhège shíhou, wǒmen hái zài Shànghǎi.
  • English: At this time last year, we were still in Shanghai.
  • Analysis: Shows how to be more specific by combining 去年 with “这个时候 (this time)”.
• Example 8:
  • 她去年开始学习中文了。
  • Pinyin: Tā qùnián kāishǐ xuéxí Zhōngwén le.
  • English: She started learning Chinese last year.
  • Analysis: A straightforward sentence about the beginning of an action in the past.
• Example 9:
  • 和去年相比，他进步了很多。
  • Pinyin: Hé qùnián xiāng bǐ, tā jìnbù le hěn duō.
  • English: Compared to last year, he has improved a lot.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how to use 去年 in a comparative structure.
• Example 10:
  • 我不记得去年发生过这件事。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù jìde qùnián fāshēng guo zhè jiàn shì.
  • English: I don't remember this incident happening last year.
  • Analysis: A more complex sentence where 去年 is part of a clause that is the object of the verb “记得” (to remember).

• Mistake 1: Confusing 去年 (qùnián) and 前年 (qiánnián).
  • 去年 (qùnián): Last year. (If it's 2024, this is 2023).
  • 前年 (qiánnián): The year before last. (If it's 2024, this is 2022).
  • This is the most common mistake for learners. “前 (qián)” means “front” or “before,” so think of it as the year before last year.
• Mistake 2: Incorrect sentence placement.
  • English speakers often put the time word at the end of the sentence, which is usually wrong in Chinese.
  • Incorrect: ~~我买了一辆新车去年。~~ (Wǒ mǎile yī liàng xīn chē qùnián.)
  • Correct: 我去年买了一辆新车。(Wǒ qùnián mǎile yī liàng xīn chē.)
• Mistake 3: Using 在 (zài) unnecessarily.
  • While `在` is used with many time expressions (e.g., 在早上 - in the morning), it is generally omitted with relative time words like 去年, 今天, 明年.
  • Unnatural: ~~在去年，天气很热。~~ (Zài qùnián, tiānqì hěn rè.)
  • Natural: 去年天气很热。( Qùnián tiānqì hěn rè.)
• Nuance: 去年 (qùnián) vs. 上一年 (shàng yī nián).
  • 去年 (qùnián) is the standard, everyday word for “last year.”
  • 上一年 (shàng yī nián) means “the previous year” and is more formal. It's often used in reports or when discussing a sequence of years. For example, when analyzing data from 2020, “the previous year” (上一年) would be 2019. It provides context within a specific timeframe rather than always being relative to the present. For daily conversation, always use 去年.

• 今年 (jīnnián) - This year. The present anchor point for 去年.
• 明年 (míngnián) - Next year. The opposite of 去年 in the time sequence.
• 前年 (qiánnián) - The year before last. A common point of confusion with 去年.
• 后年 (hòunián) - The year after next. The counterpart to 前年.
• 去年年底 (qùnián niándǐ) - The end of last year. A more specific time frame.
• 去年年初 (qùnián niánchū) - The beginning of last year. Another specific time frame.
• 旧年 (jiùnián) - The old year. A more literary or traditional term, often used around Lunar New Year to refer to the year that is ending.
• 当年 (dāngnián) - In that year; back in those days. Refers to a specific year in the past that has already been mentioned.
• 往年 (wǎngnián) - In former years; in previous years. A general term for years in the past, not just the immediately preceding one.