Definition
历年 (lì nián) means 'over the years' or 'across past years' — it refers to a cumulative span of multiple past years, often used in data, reports, or traditions. It differs from 往年 (wǎng nián), which means 'in former/previous years' and points to individual past years rather than a continuous stretch; and from 多年来 (duō nián lái), a phrase meaning 'for the past many years' that emphasizes duration up to the present.
noun
over the yearsacross (past) years
Easily confused
- 理念lǐ niànsound-alikeguiding concept, philosophy, principle
Examples
- 历年。Zhè fèn bàogào fēnxī le lì nián de xiāoshòu qíngkuàng.This report analyzes sales conditions over the years.
- 历年。lì nián lái de chuántǒng dōu shì hé jiā tuán yuán guò Chúxì.The tradition over the years has always been for the whole family to gather for New Year's Eve.
- 历年。Gōngsī lì nián de lìrùn yìzhí zài wěn bù zēngzhǎng.The company's profit over the years has been steadily growing.
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