# 歲

| 歲 | U+6B72, &#27506; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B72 |
| ← 歱 [U+6B71] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 歳 → [U+6B73] |
| 歲 | U+2F8F3, &#194803; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F8F3 |
| ← 㱎 [U+2F8F2] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement | 殟 → [U+2F8F4] |

## Translingual

| Traditional | 歲 |
| Shinjitai | 歳 |
| Simplified | 岁 |

### Han character

歲 (Kangxi radical 77, 止+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 卜一戈竹竹 (YMIHH), four-corner 2125$_3$, 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 | 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 |
| | 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 |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *sqʰʷads, *sqʰʷad): semantic 步 + phonetic 戉 (OC *ɢʷad) to indicate the passing of time as "movement". Hence, the original version was close to 𢧁. 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

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): suì (sui$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄙㄨㄟˋ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): sui$^4$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): suǐ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): суй (suy, III)
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): seoi$^3$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhui$^1$
* Gan (Wiktionary): sui$^4$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): se / soi / sui
    (Meixian, Guangdong): sê$^4$ / sui$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): sui$^3$
* Northern Min (KCR): hṳe̿ / sṳ̿
* Eastern Min (BUC): huói / suói
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hue$^4$ / sue$^4$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): hè / hèr / hòe / sòe
    (Teochew, Peng'im): huê$^3$ / suê$^3$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^5$soe
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): sei$^4$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: suì
*** Zhuyin: ㄙㄨㄟˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: suèi
*** Wade–Giles: sui$^4$
*** Yale: swèi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: suey
*** Palladius: суй (suj)
*** Sinological IPA : /su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: sui$^4$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: sui
*** Sinological IPA : /suei²¹³/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: suǐ
*** Sinological IPA : /suei²¹/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: суй (suy, III)
*** Sinological IPA : /suei⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: seoi$^3$
*** Yale: seui
*** Cantonese Pinyin: soey$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: sêu$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /sɵy̯³³/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: lhui$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬui³³/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: sui$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /sui³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: se / soi / sui
*** Hakka Romanization System: se / soi / sui
*** Hagfa Pinyim: se$^4$ / soi$^4$ / sui$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /se⁵⁵/, /soi̯⁵⁵/, /su̯i⁵⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: sê$^4$ / sui$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /se⁵³/, /suɪ⁵³/
* Meixian:
** sê4 - vernacular;
** sui4 - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit歲 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /suei⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /suei⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /suei⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /suei²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /sue⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /suei³¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /suei²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /suɨ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /suei¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /suei¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /suei²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /sei³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /suei¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /suei²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /sei²²/ /suei²¹²/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /suəi⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /se⁵³/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /suei⁴⁵/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /suei³⁵/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /suei⁵⁵/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /sø³⁵/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /se̞⁵¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /sz̩ʷei⁴⁴⁵/ |
| Wu | 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/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /ɬui³³/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /søy³³/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /sue²¹/ /he²¹/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /huɔi²¹²/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /xuɛ³³/ /sy³³/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /sue²¹³/ /hue²¹³/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /sui³⁵/ /hue³⁵/ |
* Middle Chinese: sjwejH
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$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /si̯wɛi$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | suì |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | seoi$^3$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*s-qʷʰat-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*sqʰʷads/, /*sqʰʷad/
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. ||
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 | |

### Definitions

歲
* (literary) Jupiter (planet)
    From: Guoyu, circa 4th 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
    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
    From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5th – 3rd 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.

#### See also

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

### 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 (suìmù)
* 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 (suìshǒu)
* 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 (jiùsuì)
* 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

* → 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–
* “歲”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(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) (which is, keep in mind, not a shinjitai form) 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

Wikisource 歲 (eumhun 해 세 (hae se))
* hanja form of 세 (“age (counter); year (about age)”)

#### Compounds

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

### 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

### Noun

歲
* chữ Hán form of tuế (“(only in compounds) year of age”).

#### Derived terms

* 千歲 (thiên tuế)
* 萬歲 (vạn tuế)