Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
年轻 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
年轻niánqīngyoungHSK 3, a, rank #831, Medium
niánqīng(nian2qing1) T2
  1. 1young
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
年轻(年輕)niánqīng(nian2qing1)

年轻 (niánqīng) means 'young' and is used to describe someone who is youthful in age or spirit. It can also convey a sense of being fresh, energetic, or inexperienced, often applied to both people and ideas.

Frequency#831DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being '年轻' is often associated with vitality, innovation, and the potential for success, making it a desirable quality in various social and business contexts.

Memory Tip

Think of '年' (nián) as 'year' and '轻' (qīng) as 'light.' Imagine a light, carefree year filled with youth and energy. Visualize a young person dancing lightly through the years, embodying the essence of youth.

Meanings of 年轻

niánqīng(nian2qing1)
1young
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 年轻

年轻Simplified
年輕Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#831Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 年轻

JasonAmy

Podcast: 年轻

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 年轻

Quick Contrast

年轻 (niánqīng) vs 年轻人 (niánqīng rén) — use 年轻 for the quality of being young, while 年轻人 specifically refers to young people.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of '年' (nián) as 'year' and '轻' (qīng) as 'light.' Imagine a light, carefree year filled with youth and energy. Visualize a young person dancing lightly through the years, embodying the essence of youth.

Usage Notes

While '年轻' is generally neutral, context can dictate its connotation; it can be informal when discussing age but also formal when referring to qualities like vigor. Common collocations include '年轻人' (young people) and '年轻的心态' (young mindset). Be careful with tone; '轻' needs to be pronounced with a high level tone.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, '年轻' connects to other vocabulary about age and life stages. Students should practice using it in sentences about their own age or the age of others to reinforce its meaning and context.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being '年轻' is often associated with vitality, innovation, and the potential for success, making it a desirable quality in various social and business contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '年轻' with '年纪小' (niánjì xiǎo, young in age). While both imply youth, '年轻' is more broadly applicable and has a positive connotation. Use '年轻' for a more general description of youthfulness.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 年轻

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 年轻 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Component Characters

年niányear
HSK 16 strokes干
View full entry
轻qīnglight
HSK 49 strokes车
View full entry

Write 年轻

年
轻

Practice writing 年轻 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 年轻

年轻 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他看起来比实际年龄____。

He looks younger than his actual age.

Example Sentences for 年轻 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我年轻时被他深深吸引住了。

wǒ nián qīng shí bèi tā shēn shēn xī yǐn zhù le。

I was quite taken with him when I was young.
2
从务实角度来说，音乐电视网的生存依赖于把年轻人市场卖给广告商。

cóng wù shí jiǎo dù lái shuō， ， yīn lè diàn shì wǎng de shēng cún yī lài yú bǎ nián qīng rén shì cháng mài gěi guǎng gào。

Pragmatically, MTV's survival depends on selling the youth market to advertisers.
3
英国的亚裔年轻人通常被吸引到医学、法律及工程专业。

yīng guó de yà yì nián qīng rén tōng cháng bèi xī yǐn dào yī xué、 、 fǎ lǜ jí gōng chéng zhuān。

Traditionally young Asians in Britain have gravitated towards medicine, law and engineering.
4
你看到年轻人在这种天气里衣衫单薄地去上学。

nǐ kàn dào nián qīng rén zài zhè zhǒng tiān qì lǐ yī shān dān báo dì qù shàng xué。

You see young people going to school inadequately dressed for the weather.
5
生孩子是使自己不再年轻时尚的最快方法。

shēng hái zǐ shì shǐ zì jǐ bù zài nián qīng shí shàng de zuì kuài fāng fǎ。

Having children was the quickest way to lose your street cred.
6
培养年轻球员应该是所有俱乐部谋求发展之道。

péi yǎng nián qīng qiú yuán yīng gāi shì suǒ yǒu jù lè bù móu qiú fā zhǎn zhī dào。

Young players have got to be the way forward for every club.
7
你信吗？他比我年轻！

nǐ xìn ma？ ？ tā bǐ wǒ nián！

And would you believe it, he's younger than me!
8
他曾是《堪萨斯城市星报》的一名年轻记者。

tā zēng shì《 《 kān sà sī chéng shì xīng》 bào 》 de yī míng nián qīng。

He had been a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star.
9
不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。

bù jiǔ tā jiù chéng le yīng gé lán zuì fù shèng míng de nián qīng huà jiā zhī yī。

He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.
10
一位年轻的警察在大门紧闭的使馆外站岗。

yī wèi nián qīng de jǐng chá zài dà mén jǐn bì de shǐ guǎn wài zhàn gǎng。

One young policeman stood guard outside the locked embassy gates.

Cultural Notes for 年轻

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, being '年轻' is often associated with vitality, innovation, and the potential for success, making it a desirable quality in various social and business contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions about 年轻

You can say '我觉得自己还是很年轻' (I think I am still very young).