year
year — noun
- yearsingular
- yearsplural
1. a period of 365 days (or 366 in a leap year) beginning on January 1 and ending o
a period of 365 days (or 366 in a leap year) beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31, according to the Gregorian calendar. This is the standard unit used for dates, contracts, and official records.
The year 2025 has 365 days and starts on a Wednesday.
Renata was born in the year 1999, on a hot day in July.
in the year + number for dates
February has 29 days during a leap year, which happens every four years.
The company's profits increased by 15 percent last year.
My contract runs until the end of next year.
- calendar year
more formal; specifically means Jan 1 to Dec 31
- twelve-month period
descriptive; can start at any point, not just January
文法句型
the year + number
in + year
for + number + years
用法筆記
When written as a number, the year is usually preceded by in, not on (❌ on 2025 ✅ in 2025). Year numbers before 1000 are often read as individual digits: 1066 → 'ten sixty-six'.
常見錯誤
2. any 365-day span used by an organisation or field for planning and record-keepin
any 365-day span used by an organisation or field for planning and record-keeping, starting and ending on a date the group chooses rather than on January 1.
The financial year ends on March 31 for this company.
financial year — the 12-month accounting period for a business
Dario's team finished the season with a record of 20 wins this year.
Farmers in this region measure their year from the first spring rain.
The tax year in Australia runs from July 1 to June 30.
Our reporting year covers sales from October through September.
- fiscal year
specifically about government or company accounting
- tax year
the 12-month period used for filing taxes
文法句型
financial year
tax year
academic year
year ending/starting + date
用法筆記
Common preceding words include financial, fiscal, tax, academic, school, and seasonal. The activity type often appears as a compound modifier: fiscal year, growing year, tournament year.
常見錯誤
3. the months when a school, college, or university holds classes, usually running
the months when a school, college, or university holds classes, usually running from late summer to the following spring or summer and lasting about nine months.
The school year in Taiwan usually begins in late August.
school year — the teaching period at a school
Hiro's university has three terms in one academic year.
Students get a long summer break at the end of the academic year.
Baraka finished all his exams before the year ended.
The college year is divided into two semesters and a summer session.
- academic year
the formal term for the teaching period at a university or school
- school year
used mainly for primary and secondary schools
文法句型
the + adjective + year
year + number
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 refers only to the teaching portion of a calendar year. In many countries the academic year spans parts of two calendar years (e.g., September 2024 to June 2025).
常見錯誤
❌ 'I'll graduate this academic year in December.' — if the academic year ends in June, December falls in the same calendar year but a different academic year. Check your school's calendar.
4. all the learners who begin studying at a school or university at the same time a
all the learners who begin studying at a school or university at the same time and advance through the curriculum together, forming a single cohort.
The first-year students attended an orientation session this morning.
first-year — students in their first year of study
Otis is in the same year as his cousin at university.
The 2024 year at this law school has over 200 students.
Chidi's year organised a charity fundraiser for the local hospital.
Second-year students often help new arrivals during the first week.
文法句型
the + ordinal + year
year + number
用法筆記
Common in British English; American English uses grade or class instead (e.g., 'she is in the tenth grade'). The ordinal number is often hyphenated when used as a compound adjective: first-year student, third-year course.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I'm a year 3 student.' (American context) — US English uses 'a third-year student' or 'a junior'.
5. a very long period of time, used in casual speech to emphasise that something ha
a very long period of time, used in casual speech to emphasise that something has continued or not happened for many twelve-month cycles.
Selim has not visited his hometown in years.
in years — for a very long time (informal)
It has been years since Yael last saw her childhood friend.
Imran quit smoking years ago and feels much healthier now.
I have not touched a piano for years, so my playing is rusty.
The old theatre sat empty for years before it was renovated.
- ages
equally informal, British English; 'I haven't seen you in ages!'
- a lifetime
stronger; means many years or decades
- a short while
a brief period, opposite of years
- a moment
a very short time
文法句型
for years
years ago
it's been years since…
用法筆記
This sense is almost always in the plural (years) and is informal. It typically appears in negative or emphatic statements (haven't done something in years, waited for years). The singular (a year) does not carry this meaning.
常見錯誤
6. a unit used for stating how old someone is or how long a living thing has existe
a unit used for stating how old someone is or how long a living thing has existed; one year of age equals twelve months of life.
Anna is ten years old and loves reading adventure stories.
number + years old — standard structure for stating age
The old oak tree in the park is at least 200 years old.
Élise spent her early years in a small village near Lyon.
Christopher looks very young for his years, despite being over fifty.
People over sixty-five years of age can get a discount on the bus.
- age
the general concept; 'what is your age?' is more formal than 'how old are you?'
文法句型
number + years old
number + years of age
a person's years
用法筆記
After stating age, use years old (informal) or years of age (formal). The phrase years young is sometimes used playfully for older people but is not standard. In formal writing, a hyphen is used in compound adjectives: a ten-year-old child.
常見錯誤
year — noun
1. used after an ordinal number (first, second, third, etc.) to form a compound tha
used after an ordinal number (first, second, third, etc.) to form a compound that describes a student at a particular level of study within a school, college, or university.
The first-year students at this college live in shared dormitories.
first-year — compound adjective describing a student's level
A third-year medical student assisted with the surgery.
Second-year undergraduates must choose their major by April.
The school held a special lunch for all final-year students.
Fourth-year architecture students presented their final projects to a panel of judges.
文法句型
ordinal number + -year
number + -year + noun
用法筆記
The compound is always hyphenated when used adjectivally before a noun (a first-year student) but not when year stands alone as a noun (she is in her first year). In US English the equivalent often uses grade (ninth-grade student) or the class year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior).