来年

らいねん

next year

JLPT N5

Character Breakdown

Usage of 来年 (láinián)

'来年' means 'next year' or 'the coming year' and is commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese to refer to the year following the current one. It is a time expression that helps specify when an event will happen or a plan will be realized.

Common contexts

  • Planning or scheduling future events: 来年 + verb phrase (e.g., 来年旅行 - travel next year).
  • Talking about expectations or hopes for the next year.
  • Discussing company or organizational plans for the upcoming year.

Collocations and patterns

Notes

'来年' is a neutral term suitable for formal and informal contexts. It is often interchangeable with '明年' (míngnián), but '来年' can sometimes sound slightly more formal or literary. Avoid confusing it with '今年' (this year) or '去年' (last year).

Example Sentences

I plan to travel to China next year; I must achieve this goal in the coming

The company will have many new projects next year; everyone should prepare

Although this year is busy, I hope to have more time to spend with family