n.
this year
今年
this year
This current year (今 present/now + 年 year); say 今年夏天 (this summer).
Common Usage & Traps
- 今年三月 — this March
- 今年很忙 — very busy this year
- 今年去中国 — go to China this year
- 今年学习 — study this year
- 今年有了新工作 — got a new job this year
-
这年我去中国今年我去中国这年 is not the normal daily term for 'this year'; use 今年.
-
我去中国今年我今年去中国Time words like 今年 go before the verb, not at the end.
-
今年了去中国今年去了中国了 marks the verb 去 as done, so it goes after 去, not after 今年.
Why do Chinese speakers say 今年, not 这年, for 'this year'?
Use 今年 for 'this year'; 这年 sounds wrong as an everyday time word.
English says 'this year', so your brain wants 这 + 年. Chinese treats 今年 as one fixed time word, like 今天 and 明天. You can say 这一年 in a story, but 这年 alone is not the normal daily phrase.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Daily conversation | 今年我学习。 | 这年我学习。 |
| Set time words | 今天、今年、明年 | 这年 as 'this year' |
Can you use 今年 with 了, as in 今年有了新工作?
Yes. 了 marks the job change as done inside this year.
今年 is not a deadline that blocks 了. It just tells you the time window. If something changed inside that window, 了 marks it as a done deal. So 今年有了新工作 means the new job happened sometime this year.
“今年有了新工作。” (This year I got a new job.)
“今年有了新工作。” (This year I got a new job.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Done change | 今年有了新工作。 | 今年了有新工作。 |
| What 了 follows | 有 + 了 = 有了 | 今年 + 了 = 今年了 |
Where does 今年 go in a sentence: before the verb or at the end?
Put 今年 before the verb, not at the end of the sentence.
Chinese time words like 今年, 今天, and 明年 usually sit before the verb. You can also put them at the start for emphasis. But dropping 今年 at the end sounds like an afterthought and often breaks the sentence.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Subject first | 我今年去中国。 | 我去中国今年。 |
| Time first | 今年我去中国。 | 去中国我今年。 |
| With a done action | 我今年去了中国。 | 我去了中国今年。 |
Appears in Stories 5 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
-
他是我的同学米中家的爸爸， 今年 五十五岁。
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
-
他 今年 二十九岁。
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
-
可是 今年 很奇怪，天上很少有云，也很少下雨，一直非常热。
-
爸爸说， 今年 还好，就是有一点儿干。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
-
他说 今年 出口不好做，运费涨了三成，利润压到五个点以下。
Follow a day from waking at six-thirty to coming home at eight, then leap across days, months, and years. This simple story helps you practice speaking about routines and life changes with clear time words.
-
今年 有了新工作。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!