年輪
ねんりん · nenrin · JLPT N1 · noun
ring
🌳 年 (year) + 輪 (ring): a tree adds one ring each year
Compound decomposition: 年 means year and 輪 means ring or wheel. Each year a tree grows, it adds one ring, so 年輪 is the year-ring.
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.