去年元夜时

去年元夜時
Qùnián yuányè shí
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 at the Lantern Festival night of last year
  2. 2 (poetic setup) a nostalgic 'this time last year' evoking the Lantern Festival
  3. 3 (lit.) last year, at the time of Lantern Festival night

Examples

HSK 7-9
Qùniányuányèshí, huāshìdēngrúzhòu - - Ōu yáng Xiū zhè jù jiāyùhùxiǎo.
'At Lantern Festival night last year, the flower market's lamps were bright as day' - this line of Ouyang Xiu's is known by every household.
HSK 7-9
Qùniányuányèshí wǒmen hái zài yìqǐ, jīnnián yǐ gèbēndōngxī.
'At Lantern Festival night last year' we were still together; this year we've each gone our own way.

Tips

history
Opening of 欧阳修《生查子·元夕》(Ouyang Xiu, Northern Song): 去年元夜时,花市灯如昼。月上柳梢头,人约黄昏后。今年元夜时,月与灯依旧。不见去年人,泪湿春衫袖 (Last year at Lantern Festival night, the flower market's lamps were bright as day. The moon rose to the willow's tip; we met after dusk. This year at Lantern Festival night, the moon and lamps are unchanged - but last year's one is gone, tears dampen my spring sleeve). The canonical Lantern Festival heartbreak poem; also attributed by some to Zhu Shuzhen.
usage
元夜 = 元宵夜 = Lantern Festival night (15th of 1st lunar month). The line is the stock poetic template for 'this time last year' sadness.

Stroke Order

去 qù
年 nián
元 yuán
夜 yè
时 shí