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 yīqǐ, 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

nián
yuán
shí