Definition
流年 literally means 'flowing years' and has two distinct uses. The first is a poetic term for the passage of time, often with a wistful sense of fleeting youth or life's transience. The second is a term from Chinese fortune-telling (八字, eight-character astrology) referring to the luck or fortune predicted for a specific year, commonly seen in phrases like 流年不利 ('an unlucky year').
n.
(literary) fleeting timethe passing years(fortune-telling) one's luck or fortune in a given year
Examples
- 流年，。liú nián sì shuǐ, zhuǎn yǎn jiān wǒmen dōu lǎo le.Time flows like water; in the blink of an eye we've all grown old.
- 流年，。Suàn mìng de shuō tā jīnnián liú nián bú lì, yào xiǎoxīn.The fortune-teller said this year's luck is bad for him, so he needs to be careful.
- 流年，。liú nián yì shì, zhēnxī dāngxià cái shì zhēn.Fleeting time passes easily; cherishing the present is what truly matters.
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