歲

See also: 歳, 岁, 亗, and 嵗

歲	U+6B72, 歲 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B72

← 歱
[U+6B71]

CJK Unified Ideographs

歳 →
[U+6B73]

歲	U+2F8F3, 歲 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8F3

← 㱎
[U+2F8F2]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement

殟 →
[U+2F8F4]

More information Traditional, Shinjitai ...

Traditional	歲
Shinjitai	歳
Simplified	岁

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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

More information trad., simp. ...

trad.		歲
simp.		岁
alternative forms		嵗亗㞸㱑歳嵗亗㞸㱑歳𡻕𫞓𢧡𢧁𭭚㒸 ⿵𡶔𡭕

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Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 歲, Shang ...

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

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More information Old Chinese ...

	Old Chinese
噦	qʰʷaːds, qʷrad, *qʷad
翽	*qʰʷaːds
鐬	*qʰʷaːds
濊	qʰʷaːds, qʷaːds, qʷads, qʰʷaːd
歲	sqʰʷads, sqʰʷad
劌	*kʷrads
顪	*qʰʷads
穢	*qʷads
薉	*qʷads
獩	*qʷads
饖	*qʷads
奯	*qʰʷaːd

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Characters in the same phonetic series (歲) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

Thumb — Uncommon instance of 歲／岁 (suì) in the oracle bone script showing the two 止 components.

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

More information Variety, Location ...

Variety	Location	edit 歲
Mandarin	Beijing	/suei⁵¹/
	Harbin	/suei⁵³/
	Tianjin	/suei⁵³/
	Jinan	/suei²¹/
	Qingdao	/sue⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/suei³¹²/
	Xi'an	/suei²¹/
	Xining	/suɨ²¹³/
	Yinchuan	/suei¹³/
	Lanzhou	/suei¹³/
	Ürümqi	/suei²¹³/
	Wuhan	/sei³⁵/
	Chengdu	/suei¹³/
	Guiyang	/suei²¹³/
	Kunming	/sei²²/ /suei²¹²/
	Nanjing	/suəi⁴⁴/
	Hefei	/se⁵³/
Jin	Taiyuan	/suei⁴⁵/
	Pingyao	/suei³⁵/
	Hohhot	/suei⁵⁵/
Wu	Shanghai	/sø³⁵/
	Suzhou	/se̞⁵¹³/
	Hangzhou	/sz̩ʷei⁴⁴⁵/
	Wenzhou	/sz̩⁴²/
Hui	Shexian	/ɕye³²⁴/ /ɕy³²⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/se⁴²/
Xiang	Changsha	/sei⁵⁵/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/səi⁵⁵/
Gan	Nanchang	/sui⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/sui⁵³/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/se⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/søy³³/
	Nanning	/ɬui³³/
	Hong Kong	/søy³³/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/sue²¹/ /he²¹/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/huɔi²¹²/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/xuɛ³³/ /sy³³/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/sue²¹³/ /hue²¹³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/sui³⁵/ /hue³⁵/

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More information Rime, Character ...

Rime
Character	歲
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	祭 (36)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	相銳切
Baxter	sjwejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/siuᴇi^H/
Pan Wuyun	/sʷiɛi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/siuæi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/swiaj^H/
Li Rong	/siuɛi^H/
Wang Li	/sĭwɛi^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/si̯wɛi^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	suì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	seoi³

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More information Character, Reading # ...

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	歲
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	suì
Middle Chinese	‹ sjwej^H ›
Old Chinese	/*s-qʷʰat-s/
English	year
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

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More information Zhengzhang system (2003), Character ...

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	歲	歲
Reading #	1/2	2/2
No.	12165	12175
Phonetic component	歲	歲
Rime group	祭	月
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime		雪
Old Chinese	/*sqʰʷads/	/*sqʰʷad/
Notes	甲金文戉分化字，說文戌聲非

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Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): suì (sui⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄨㄟˋ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): sui⁴

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): суй (suy, III)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): seoi³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lhui¹
Gan (Wiktionary): sui⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): se / soi / sui

(Meixian, Guangdong): sê⁴ / sui⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): sui³
Northern Min (KCR): hṳe̿ / sṳ̿
Eastern Min (BUC): huói / suói
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hue⁴ / sue⁴
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): hè / hèr / hòe / sòe

(Teochew, Peng'im): huê³ / suê³
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵soe
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): sei⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: suì
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄨㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: suèi
  - Wade–Giles: sui⁴
  - Yale: swèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: suey
  - Palladius: суй (suj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: sui⁴
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: sui
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /suei²¹³/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: суй (suy, III)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /suei⁴⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: seoi³
  - Yale: seui
  - Cantonese Pinyin: soey³
  - Guangdong Romanization: sêu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɵy̯³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lhui¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬui³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: sui⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sui³⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: se / soi / sui
  - Hakka Romanization System: se / soi / sui
  - Hagfa Pinyim: se⁴ / soi⁴ / sui⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /se⁵⁵/, /soi̯⁵⁵/, /su̯i⁵⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: sê⁴ / sui⁴
  - Sinological IPA: /se⁵³/, /suɪ⁵³/

Note:

Meixian:
- sê4 - vernacular;
- sui4 - literary.

Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: sui³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /suei⁴⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hṳe̿ / sṳ̿
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xyɛ³³/, /sy³³/

Note:

hṳe̿ - vernacular;
sṳ̿ - literary.

Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: huói / suói
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hui²¹³/, /sui²¹³/

Note:

huói - vernacular;
suói - literary.

Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: hue⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /huei⁴²/
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: sue⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬuei⁴²/

Note:

hue4 - vernacular;
sue4 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Taipei, Magong, Hsinchu, Taichung, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hè
  - Tâi-lô: hè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hex
  - IPA (Xiamen): /he²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /he¹¹/
  - IPA (Philippines): /he⁴¹/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Lukang, Sanxia, Kinmen, Hsinchu)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hèr
  - Tâi-lô: hèr
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /hə⁴¹/
  - IPA (Lukang): /hə³¹/
  - IPA (Kinmen): /hə¹²/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hòe
  - Tâi-lô: huè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: hoex
  - IPA (Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /hue²¹/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sòe
  - Tâi-lô: suè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: soex
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /sue⁴¹/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /sue²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /sue¹¹/

Note:

hè/hèr/hòe - vernacular;
sòe - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: huê³ / suê³
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: huè / suè
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hue²¹³/, /sue²¹³/

Note:

huê3 - vernacular;
suê3 - literary.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁵soe
  - MiniDict: soe^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²soe
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /sø³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: sei⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /se̞i̯⁴⁵/

Dialectal data

Middle Chinese: sjwejH

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*s-qʷʰat-s/

(Zhengzhang): /*sqʰʷads/, /*sqʰʷad/

Definitions

歲

(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,...... [Pinyin]
  Formerly when King Wu attacked Yin, the Year Star / Jupiter was in Quail Fire, [...] The Year Star / Jupiter was in the [heavenly] region allotted to us, the Youzhou, [...]
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.” [Pinyin]
  The Master said, "When the year becomes cold, then we know how the pine and the cypress are the last to lose their leaves."
Tai Sui, the god representing each of these years
(literary) age
(literary) time; period
(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? [Pinyin]
  Whence the people, if not for the harvests? Whence the prince, if not for the people?
Classifier for time: year
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.

Compounds

一歲三遷／一岁三迁
一歲九遷／一岁九迁
上了歲數／上了岁数
三呼萬歲／三呼万岁
上歲數兒／上岁数儿
亞歲／亚岁
以日為歲／以日为岁
來歲／来岁 (láisuì)
共歲／共岁
凶年饑歲／凶年饥岁
分歲／分岁
別歲／别岁
初歲／初岁
千歲／千岁 (qiānsuì)
千歲一時／千岁一时
千秋萬歲／千秋万岁 (qiānqiūwànsuì)
卒歲／卒岁 (zúsuì)
去歲／去岁 (qùsuì)
同歲／同岁 (tóngsuì)
善歲／善岁
嗣歲／嗣岁
嘉歲／嘉岁
報歲／报岁
報歲蘭／报岁兰
壓歲／压岁 (yāsuì)
壓歲錢／压岁钱 (yāsuìqián)
太歲／太岁 (Tàisuì)
太歲年名／太岁年名
安太歲／安太岁
守歲／守岁 (shǒusuì)
客歲／客岁
富歲／富岁
實歲／实岁 (shísuì)
寸陰若歲／寸阴若岁
崢嶸歲月／峥嵘岁月 (zhēngróngsuìyuè)
年歲／年岁 (niánsuì)
年深歲改／年深岁改
幾歲／几岁 (jǐsuì)
度日如歲／度日如岁
度歲／度岁 (dùsuì)
徂歲／徂岁
悲歡歲月／悲欢岁月 (bēihuānsuìyuè)
惡歲／恶岁
撞太歲／撞太岁
撞鐘太歲／撞钟太岁
改歲／改岁
敗歲／败岁
新歲／新岁
日久歲深／日久岁深
日長歲久／日长岁久
旬歲／旬岁
星歲／星岁
時和歲稔／时和岁稔
時和歲豐／时和岁丰
晚歲／晚岁
暑歲／暑岁
暮歲／暮岁
望歲／望岁
期歲／期岁
樂歲／乐岁
歉歲／歉岁
歲不我與／岁不我与 (suìbùwǒyǔ)
歲事／岁事
歲修／岁修
歲入／岁入 (suìrù)
歲凶
歲出／岁出 (suìchū)
歲初／岁初
歲功／岁功
歲君／岁君
歲在龍蛇／岁在龙蛇
歲夜／岁夜
歲寒／岁寒 (suìhán)
歲寒三友／岁寒三友 (suìhánsānyǒu)
歲寒不凋／岁寒不凋
歲寒松柏／岁寒松柏
歲差／岁差 (suìchā)
歲幣／岁币 (suìbì)
歲弊／岁弊
歲收／岁收 (suìshōu)
歲數／岁数 (suìshu)
歲星／岁星 (Suìxīng)
歲晏／岁晏
歲時／岁时 (suìshí)
歲時伏臘／岁时伏腊
歲暮／岁暮
歲會／岁会
歲月／岁月 (suìyuè)
歲月不居／岁月不居
歲月如梭／岁月如梭 (suìyuèrúsuō)
歲月如流／岁月如流
歲月崢嶸／岁月峥嵘
歲朘月耗／岁朘月耗
歲朝／岁朝 (suìzhāo)
歲末／岁末 (suìmò)
歲杪／岁杪 (suìmiǎo)
歲歲平安／岁岁平安
歲比不登／岁比不登
歲稔年豐／岁稔年丰
歲考／岁考
歲荒／岁荒 (suìhuāng)
歲華／岁华
歲行／岁行
歲計／岁计
歲試／岁试
歲豐年稔／岁丰年稔
歲貢／岁贡
歲闌／岁阑
歲除／岁除
歲陰／岁阴
歲陽／岁阳
歲首／岁首
比歲／比岁 (bǐsuì)
比歲不登／比岁不登
活太歲／活太岁
犯歲／犯岁
獻歲／献岁
玩日愒歲／玩日愒岁
玩歲愒日／玩岁愒日
發歲／发岁
百歲／百岁 (bǎisuì)
百歲之好／百岁之好
百歲之後／百岁之后
百歲千秋／百岁千秋
百歲羹／百岁羹
萬歲／万岁 (wànsuì)
萬歲千秋／万岁千秋
萬歲爺／万岁爷 (wànsuìyé)
穰歲／穰岁
窮年累歲／穷年累岁
終歲／终岁 (zhōngsuì)
綺紈之歲／绮纨之岁
聊以卒歲／聊以卒岁 (liáoyǐzúsuì)
舊歲／旧岁
花花太歲／花花太岁
虛歲／虚岁 (xūsuì)
豐年稔歲／丰年稔岁
賀歲／贺岁 (hèsuì)
足歲／足岁 (zúsuì)
辭歲／辞岁
近歲／近岁
連歲／连岁
週歲／周岁 (zhōusuì)
長命百歲／长命百岁 (chángmìngbǎisuì)
長歲錢／长岁钱
間歲／间岁
開歲／开岁
饑饉之歲／饥馑之岁

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (歲):

→ Japanese: 歳(さい) (sai)
→ Korean: 세(歲) (se)
→ Vietnamese: tuế (歲)

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 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Kanji

歲

(Hyōgai kanji)

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

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))

hanja form^? of 세 (“age (counter); year (about age)”)

Compounds

세월 (歲月, sewol)
세배 (歲拜, sebae)
연세 (年歲, yeonse)