年限
nián xiàn · HSK 7
limit
📅 年 = year + 限 = limit, so a fixed span of years or an age cutoff
年 (nián) means year and 限 (xiàn) means limit or boundary; together they mark a set term of years or the maximum allowed age.
年 — grain 禾 over person 人 (oracle bone)
Originally a pictograph of a person carrying a bundle of harvested grain on their back, representing the yearly grain harvest. Because harvests came once a year, the character shifted from meaning 'harvest' to meaning 'year.' The modern form 年 obscures the original 禾 (grain) + 人 (person) structure.
限 — mound radical 阝 + 艮 (phonetic)
限 combines the 阝 (mound/hill) radical on the left with 艮 on the right, which provides the sound. The mound element suggests a boundary or barrier formed by terrain, and the character came to mean 'limit' or 'boundary' — the edge one cannot cross.