Definition
万年 literally means 'ten thousand years' but is used hyperbolically to mean a very long time or eternity. It often appears in idioms and set phrases (e.g. 遗臭万年 'leave a stink for ten thousand years', 万年青 'evergreen plant'). Unlike the philosophical concept of 'eternity' (永恒), 万年 emphasizes an extremely long but finite duration.
n.
ten thousand yearsa very long timeeternity (hyperbolic)
Examples
- 万年。Zhè kuài huàshí yǒu Wàn nián lìshǐ.This fossil has a history of ten thousand years.
- ，。Tā zuò le huàishì, yíchòu Wàn nián.He did bad things and will be remembered infamously for ten thousand years.
- ，。Zhè zhǒng zhíwù jiào Wàn nián qīng, sìjì chánglǜ.This plant is called evergreen, green all year round.
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