歲

Translingual

Han character

歲 (Kangxi radical 77, 止+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 卜一戈竹竹 (YMIHH), four-corner 2125₃, composition ⿱止⿵戌𣥂)

Derived characters

• 𬿳, 噦, 𢕺, 𭢴, 濊, 獩, 檅, 𣩪, 穢, 𦅵, 𮕃, 𢆫, 𧬨, 𧴖, 𧸗, 䠩, 鐬, 𣦮, 饖, 䮹, 鱥, 𪒩
• 劌, 𢒱, 𨞣, 𣤠, 𣦦, 𣦧/𣦬, 𬆎, 翽, 顪, 𮭘, 𦡖, 𣦫, 奯/𡚓, 薉/𦿧, 𤻀, 𣦭, 𱉁

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 577, character 2
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16326
• Dae Jaweon: page 967, character 17
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1443, character 20
• Unihan data for U+6B72

• Unihan data for U+2F8F3

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 歲
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *sqʰʷads, *sqʰʷad) : semantic 步 + phonetic 戉 (OC *ɢʷad). In addition to 戉, various components such as 月 (“moon; month”) used to be present, sometimes as simple as two dots. The current form derives from the Qin-style handwriting of the late Warring States (with a full-width 止 on the top and a bottom-left 撇 stroke extending outward as in 戊 or 戌 instead of bending inward as in 戉), which was also inherited by the clerical script.

Etymology

A derivative of 越 (OC *ɢʷad, “to pass over”) (Mei, 1979, 1992). Ultimately probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *grwat (“to travel; to go through”); compare Tibetan སྐྱོད (skyod, “to go”) (Mei, 1979, 1992; Gong Hwang-cherng, 2002; STEDT).

The functions of the *s- prefix and the *-s suffix are not clear. Possible explanations include:

• *s- as a directive prefix and *-s as a nominalizer (Mei, 1992);
• *s- is an iterative prefix, literally "to pass on again" (Schuessler, 2007);
• *s- (possibly with *-s) as a nominalizer (Smith, 2012).

Alternatively, it may be derived from a word like 圓 (OC *ɢon, “round; circle”) (< Proto-Sino-Tibetan *wal (“round; circular”)), literally "to start the circle/cycle again" (Schuessler, 2007).

Outside of Sino-Tibetan, this word has been compared to Thai ขวบ (kùuap, “year”), which Bodman (1980) considers to be a loan from Chinese, as well as Proto-Austronesian *kawaS (“year; season; sky”) (Sagart, 2005).

Also see Schuessler (2007) and Smith (2012) for a discussion on the semantic development of this word, especially the connection between "Jupiter" and "year".

Pronunciation

Definitions

歲

1. (literary) Jupiter (planet)

   • 昔武王伐殷，歲在鶉火，……歲之所在，則我有周之分野也，…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     昔武王伐殷，岁在鹑火，……岁之所在，则我有周之分野也，…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Guoyu, circa 4^th century BCE

     Xī Wǔwáng fá Yīn, Suì zài Chúnhuǒ,...... Suì zhī suǒzài, zé wǒ Yǒuzhōu zhī fēnyě yě,......

     Formerly when King Wu attacked Yin, the Year Star / Jupiter was in Quail Fire, The Year Star / Jupiter was in the region allotted to us, the Youzhou,

2. year

   • 子曰：「歲寒，然後知松柏之後彫也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「岁寒，然后知松柏之后凋也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐ yuē: “Suì hán, rán hòu zhī sōngbǎi zhī hòu diāo yě.”

     The Master said, "When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves."

3. Tai Sui, the god representing each of these years
4. (literary) age
5. (literary) time; period
6. (literary) crop harvests of the year

   • 苟無歲，何有民？苟無民，何有君？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     苟无岁，何有民？苟无民，何有君？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

     Gǒu wú suì, hé yǒu mín? Gǒu wú mín, hé yǒu jūn?

     Whence the people, if not for the harvests? Whence the prince, if not for the people?

7. Classifier for time: year
8. Classifier for age (of a person or animal): year old

   你現在幾歲？／你现在几岁？  ―  Nǐ xiànzài jǐ suì?  ―  How old are you now?

   我十八歲。／我十八岁。  ―  Wǒ shíbā suì.  ―  I am 18 years old.

   一個十歲的女孩／一个十岁的女孩  ―  yīge shí suì de nǚhái  ―  a ten-year-old girl

Usage notes

Ages in 歲／岁 (suì) are traditionally reckoned using the Chinese lunar calendar, considered as 1 year old at the moment of birth and increasing not during birthdays, but at the Chinese New Year.

See also

• 年 (nián, “year < harvest”)
• 年紀／年纪 (niánjì)
• 年齡／年龄 (niánlíng)

Compounds

Descendants

References

• “歲”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• “Entry #9664”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. Alternative form of - 歳(さい) (sai, “year (age counter)”)
2. Alternative form of - 才(さい) (sai, “year (age counter)”)

Readings

• On (unclassified): せい (sei); さい (sai)
• Kun: とし (toshi); よわい (yowai)

Usage notes

This character lacks JIS support and is not used in Japan. The character 歳 (U+6B73) is used instead.

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 歲 (MC sjwejH). Recorded as Middle Korean 셰 (syey) (Yale: syey) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

歲

Wikisource

歲 (eumhun 해 세 (hae se))

1. Hanja form^? of 세 (“age (counter); year (about age)”).

Compounds

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

歲: Hán Nôm readings: tuế, tuổi

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