<p>As the other answers said, 年 is a measure word when it refers to 'year', i.e. 一年时间, 两年工作.</p>
<p>Well, when 年 is used as a noun, it specifically refers to the Spring Festival, 新年.</p>
<p>For example,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>你在中国过了几个（新）年了？ // How many Spring Festivals have you spent in China</p>
<p>这（一）个年怎么过 or 这（一）个新年怎么过 // How are we going to celebrate this Spring Festivals?</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-22T13:14:07.907Z
should be the accepted answer. Others failed to consider when 年 is a noun, 一个年 is correct.
jf328
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T07:57:19.930Z
年 may also means [a monster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian), which is a noun
tsh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T10:00:33.940Z
新年 is a countable noun, 年 is a short form of it. The correct phrasing should be "你在中国过了几个新年了",  writing "你在中国过了几个年了 could be  "你在中国过了几个年头了 ". In short,  '年' being a noun only when it is the short form of either '新年' or  '年头'. Finally, saying  '一个年' is a short form of '一个年头'  or  '一个新年'-- people usually don't shorten these two phrases like that.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T10:10:18.967Z
the noun 年 by itself doesn't take classifier,
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-24T10:19:48.520Z
@TangHo, 一个年 is usually short for 一个新年, but not 一个年头. 年头 should not be elided.
dan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-21T00:59:42.497Z
2017-11-21T00:59:42.497Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
dan
<p>Because 年 is a count word or classifier. In our language it is called 量词. You can't use a count word to count another count word, like we never say 一个粒 or 一条只. But you use the double count words to express <em>every</em>, like 一年年 means every year.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-21T00:05:39.400Z
2017-11-22T03:17:54.533Z
2017-11-22T03:17:54.533Z
J.Wang
<p>You cannot say 一个年, but you can say 一个年头 </p>

<p>The difference between 年 and 年头 had been explained here  <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/21066/understanding-%e5%b9%b4%e9%a0%ad-in-context/21068#21068">Understanding 年頭 in context</a></p>

<p>Yes, 年 itself can be a classifier  '一年时间' and '两年工夫' are both valid</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-20T19:50:19.390Z
2017-11-20T19:50:19.390Z
Tang Ho
<p>From what I can tell, <code>一个年</code> is completely wrong because you can never use a classifier together with <code>年</code>. The situation is different from a phrase like <code>一个朋友</code>.</p>

<p>My question is: why? Is there a reason why <code>年</code> is different from <code>朋友</code> like this? Are there other nouns which behave like <code>年</code>?</p>

<p>Or is <code>年</code> really syntactically more like <code>个</code>? Is <code>年</code> actually usable as a measure word? Can you for example say <code>一年时间</code> or <code>两年工作</code>?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-20T21:25:47.360Z
see any grammar: CCG:2.11 Missing measure words ...one possibility is that the noun itself may be  a measure. E.g. 一个人，一人，e。g。一人船，一个星期、一星期，e。g。一星期假期，there is some ambiguity with temporal nouns, some are only nouns, some may be both nouns and measures, while others may be only used as measures: 一个小时，一小时，一个钟头，＊一钟头，＊一个天，一天，一个礼拜，＊一礼拜，一周，一个周，一个月, 一月 (January)，＊一个年，一年
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-20T21:55:11.323Z
also note  数词+名词短语做定语, e.g. 一人船, 四贴袋男用套装  https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/14657/what-is-the-function-of-%e8%b4%b4-in-%e5%9b%9b%e8%b4%b4%e8%a2%8b
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-21T05:14:02.970Z
You may speak 一日/一天, 一星期/一个星期/一周/一个周, 一月(depending on context)/一个月, 一年, you may not speak 一个日/一个天, 一个年. The word 一月 would mean **one month** or **January**. If you say 这一月, it means **this one month**, or you may speak **一** with second tone, **yí**, and stress the character 月, it means **one month** but not **January**. **January** reads as **yī** (first tone) **yue** (untoned).
xenophōn
<measure-word>
What's wrong with 一个年?
# What's wrong with 一个年?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-20)

From what I can tell, `一个年` is completely wrong because you can never use a classifier together with `年`. The situation is different from a phrase like `一个朋友`.

My question is: why? Is there a reason why `年` is different from `朋友` like this? Are there other nouns which behave like `年`?

Or is `年` really syntactically more like `个`? Is `年` actually usable as a measure word? Can you for example say `一年时间` or `两年工作`?

**Tags:** measure-word
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: see any grammar: CCG:2.11 Missing measure words ...one possibility is that the noun itself may be  a measure. E.g. 一个人，一人，e。g。一人船，一个星期、一星期，e。g。一星期假期，there is some ambiguity with temporal nouns, some are only nouns, some may be both nouns and measures, while others may be only used as measures: 一个小时，一小时，一个钟头，＊一钟头，＊一个天，一天，一个礼拜，＊一礼拜，一周，一个周，一个月, 一月 (January)，＊一个年，一年  
> **username_1**: also note  数词+名词短语做定语, e.g. 一人船, 四贴袋男用套装  https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/14657/what-is-the-function-of-%e8%b4%b4-in-%e5%9b%9b%e8%b4%b4%e8%a2%8b  
> **username_2**: You may speak 一日/一天, 一星期/一个星期/一周/一个周, 一月(depending on context)/一个月, 一年, you may not speak 一个日/一个天, 一个年. The word 一月 would mean **one month** or **January**. If you say 这一月, it means **this one month**, or you may speak **一** with second tone, **yí**, and stress the character 月, it means **one month** but not **January**. **January** reads as **yī** (first tone) **yue** (untoned).  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-11-20. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

You cannot say 一个年, but you can say 一个年头

The difference between 年 and 年头 had been explained here [Understanding 年頭 in context](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/21066/understanding-%e5%b9%b4%e9%a0%ad-in-context/21068#21068)

Yes, 年 itself can be a classifier '一年时间' and '两年工夫' are both valid


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-21. Score: 2

As the other answers said, 年 is a measure word when it refers to 'year', i.e. 一年时间, 两年工作.

Well, when 年 is used as a noun, it specifically refers to the Spring Festival, 新年.

For example,

> 你在中国过了几个（新）年了？ // How many Spring Festivals have you spent in China
>
> 这（一）个年怎么过 or 这（一）个新年怎么过 // How are we going to celebrate this Spring Festivals?

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: should be the accepted answer. Others failed to consider when 年 is a noun, 一个年 is correct.  
> **username_5**: 年 may also means [a monster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian), which is a noun  
> **username_6**: 新年 is a countable noun, 年 is a short form of it. The correct phrasing should be "你在中国过了几个新年了",  writing "你在中国过了几个年了 could be  "你在中国过了几个年头了 ". In short,  '年' being a noun only when it is the short form of either '新年' or  '年头'. Finally, saying  '一个年' is a short form of '一个年头'  or  '一个新年'-- people usually don't shorten these two phrases like that.  
> **username_6**: the noun 年 by itself doesn't take classifier,  
> **username_3**: @TangHo, 一个年 is usually short for 一个新年, but not 一个年头. 年头 should not be elided.  

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### Answer by username_7 on 2017-11-21. Score: 1

Because 年 is a count word or classifier. In our language it is called 量词. You can't use a count word to count another count word, like we never say 一个粒 or 一条只. But you use the double count words to express *every*, like 一年年 means every year.


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