明年
míng nián · HSK 1
next year
📅 明 (bright/next) + 年 (year) = next year
明 means bright or next (the next bright day = tomorrow, 明天); 年 means year. Together 明年 literally reads as the next year. Pairs naturally with 明天 (tomorrow) and 后年 (year after next).
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.