měi nián: 每年 - Every Year, Annually

• Keywords: 每年, mei nian, every year in Chinese, annually in Chinese, Chinese time words, Chinese frequency, learn Chinese, 每年 vs 每年都, HSK 2 Chinese word, 每年 meaning, Chinese grammar
• Summary: Learn how to use 每年 (měi nián), the essential Chinese word for “every year” or “annually.” This guide is perfect for beginners, covering its core meaning, character breakdown, and cultural context for major annual events like Chinese New Year. With over 10 practical example sentences, you'll master how to talk about yearly routines, traditions, and business cycles. We'll also clarify the crucial grammar point of when to use 每年都 (měi nián dōu) to sound more like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): měi nián
• Part of Speech: Adverbial Phrase (Time Word)
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: It means “every year,” “each year,” or “annually.”
• In a Nutshell: 每年 (měi nián) is a fundamental time word used to describe actions, events, or states that occur on a yearly basis. It's formed by logically combining “every” (每) and “year” (年). Think of it as the direct and most common Chinese equivalent of saying “yearly” or “each year,” used for everything from holiday traditions to annual business reports.

• 每 (měi): This character means “every” or “each.” It's a building block for many frequency words, such as 每天 (měitiān) - “every day” and 每个 (měige) - “every one.”
• 年 (nián): This character means “year.” It's one of the first time-related characters learners encounter, found in words like 今年 (jīnnián) - “this year” and 明年 (míngnián) - “next year.”

When combined, 每年 (měi nián) literally translates to “every year,” making its meaning transparent and easy for beginners to grasp and remember.

The concept of “every year” is universal, but 每年 holds special weight in Chinese culture due to the profound importance of annual cycles and traditions governed by the lunisolar calendar. Key cultural events that happen 每年 include:

• 春节 (Chūn Jié) - Spring Festival: This is the most significant holiday. 每年, hundreds of millions of people travel back to their hometowns for family reunion dinners (年夜饭 niányèfàn), creating the world's largest annual human migration (春运 chūnyùn).
• 清明节 (Qīngmíng Jié) - Tomb-Sweeping Day: 每年 on this day, families visit the graves of their ancestors to clean them and pay their respects.
• 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū Jié) - Mid-Autumn Festival: 每年, families gather to admire the full moon and eat mooncakes (月饼 yuèbǐng).

Compared to the West, where annual events like birthdays or Christmas are important, the cultural significance of 每年 in China is more deeply tied to collective, family-centered activities that reinforce familial piety and cultural identity. The changing of the Chinese zodiac animal 每年 is another prime example of an annual cycle deeply embedded in the culture.

每年 is an extremely common term used in various contexts, from casual conversation to formal business.

• Discussing Traditions and Habits: It's the go-to phrase for talking about personal, family, or national traditions that recur annually.
  • e.g., “Our family goes to Hainan for vacation every year.”
• Business and Official Contexts: In a professional setting, 每年 is used for annual reports, reviews, conferences, and goals.
  • e.g., “The company holds its annual meeting in December every year.”
• Describing Natural Cycles: It can be used to describe recurring natural phenomena.
  • e.g., “The birds migrate south every year.”

The term is neutral and its formality depends on the context of the sentence.

• Example 1:
  • 我们家每年春节都一起包饺子。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen jiā měi nián Chūnjié dōu yīqǐ bāo jiǎozi.
  • English: Our family makes dumplings together every year for the Spring Festival.
  • Analysis: A classic example of describing a family tradition. Note the use of `都 (dōu)`, which emphasizes that this happens every single year without fail. See the “Nuances” section for more on this.
• Example 2:
  • 他每年夏天都去海边度假。
  • Pinyin: Tā měi nián xiàtiān dōu qù hǎibiān dùjià.
  • English: He goes to the seaside for vacation every summer.
  • Analysis: This describes a personal annual habit. The structure `每年 + [Time] + 都 + Verb` is very common.
• Example 3:
  • 公司每年都会给员工加薪吗？
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī měi nián dōu huì gěi yuángōng jiāxīn ma?
  • English: Does the company give employees a raise every year?
  • Analysis: Shows how to use 每年 in a question. `会 (huì)` here indicates a habitual action or likelihood.
• Example 4:
  • 苹果公司每年九月发布新款手机。
  • Pinyin: Píngguǒ gōngsī měi nián jiǔ yuè fābù xīnkuǎn shǒujī.
  • English: Apple releases new model phones every September.
  • Analysis: In this sentence, since the subject (“Apple”) comes before 每年, the use of `都 (dōu)` is optional and often omitted in factual statements or news-style language.
• Example 5:
  • 这个城市每年的变化都很大。
  • Pinyin: Zhège chéngshì měi nián de biànhuà dōu hěn dà.
  • English: The changes in this city are huge every year.
  • Analysis: Here, 每年 modifies the noun “changes” (变化). The structure is `每年 + 的 + Noun`.
• Example 6:
  • 每年这个时候，樱花就开了。
  • Pinyin: Měi nián zhège shíhou, yīnghuā jiù kāi le.
  • English: Around this time every year, the cherry blossoms bloom.
  • Analysis: A great example of using 每年 to talk about a natural, seasonal cycle.
• Example 7:
  • 学校每年都组织一次运动会。
  • Pinyin: Xuéxiào měi nián dōu zǔzhī yī cì yùndònghuì.
  • English: The school organizes a sports meet every year.
  • Analysis: `一次 (yī cì)` specifies the frequency (“one time”) within the annual period.
• Example 8:
  • 这家博物馆每年吸引数百万游客。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā bówùguǎn měi nián xīyǐn shù bǎi wàn yóukè.
  • English: This museum attracts several million visitors annually.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates a more formal, statistical use of the term, similar to “annually” in English.
• Example 9:
  • 医生建议我每年做一次体检。
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng jiànyì wǒ měi nián zuò yī cì tǐjiǎn.
  • English: The doctor recommends I get a physical check-up once a year.
  • Analysis: Shows 每年 used in the context of advice or recommendations.
• Example 10:
  • 我每年的生日愿望都不一样。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měi nián de shēngrì yuànwàng dōu bù yīyàng.
  • English: My birthday wish is different every year.
  • Analysis: Similar to Example 5, this uses the `每年的 + Noun` structure to talk about something that belongs to each year.

• The `每年都 (měi nián dōu)` Rule:

This is the most common point of confusion for learners. When 每年 describes the frequency of an action and appears before the verb, you almost always need to add 都 (dōu), which means “all,” to emphasize the consistency of the action across “all years.”

• Correct: 我每年都回老家。(Wǒ měi nián dōu huí lǎojiā.) - I go back to my hometown every year.
• Awkward/Incorrect: 我每年回老家。 (Wǒ měi nián huí lǎojiā.) While understandable, this sounds unnatural to a native speaker. The `都` reinforces that the action applies to every year mentioned.
• “Every Year” (Frequency) vs. “One Year” (Duration):

Do not confuse 每年 (měi nián) with 一年 (yī nián). 每年 is about how often something happens. 一年 is about a duration or quantity of one year.

• Incorrect: I lived in Shanghai for every year. (我在上海住了每年。)
• Correct: I lived in Shanghai for one year. (我在上海住了一年。 - Wǒ zài Shànghǎi zhùle yī nián.)
• Correct: I go to Shanghai every year. (我每年都去上海。 - Wǒ měi nián dōu qù Shànghǎi.)

• 每天 (měi tiān) - Every day. Follows the same grammatical pattern (`每 + time unit`).
• 每周 (měi zhōu) - Every week. Also known as `每个星期 (měi ge xīngqī)`.
• 每月 (měi yuè) - Every month. Also known as `每个月 (měi ge yuè)`.
• 年年 (nián nián) - Year after year. A synonym for 每年, but often has a more literary or emphatic feel. It's common in blessings like `年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú)` - “may there be surplus year after year.”
• 年度 (nián dù) - Annual; yearly. A more formal term often used as an adjective in business or official contexts, like `年度报告 (nián dù bàogào)` - annual report.
• 都 (dōu) - All; both. A crucial adverb that is almost always paired with 每年 when it precedes a verb.
• 去年 (qùnián) - Last year. The opposite timeframe.
• 明年 (míngnián) - Next year. The opposite timeframe.
• 春节 (Chūn Jié) - Spring Festival. The most important event in China that happens 每年.