1.
year after year; with each passing year
A literary or emphatic expression meaning every single year, emphasizing the repetitive nature of change over time. More formal and literary than 年々.
年々歳々花は同じだが、人は変わる。
Year after year the flowers are the same, but people change.
From a famous Chinese poem by Liu Xiyi.
年々歳々、この町の風景は変わっていく。
Year after year, the scenery of this town keeps changing.
年々歳々技術が進歩して、生活は便利になっている。
With each passing year, technology advances and life becomes more convenient.
USAGE:
A literary four-character expression (四字熟語) originating from a Tang Dynasty Chinese poem. More emphatic and literary than the simpler 年々. Often used in reflective or philosophical contexts about the passage of time.
ETYMOLOGY:
From a poem by Liu Xiyi (劉希夷): 「年年歳歳花相似、歳歳年年人不同」— "Year after year the flowers are alike; year after year the people are different."
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 年々: year by year — the simpler, more common form
- 毎年: every year — a neutral, everyday expression