Meaning and Usage
The word '작년' means 'last year' and is used to refer to the year immediately before the current one. It is a common time expression in everyday conversation and writing.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '작년' when people talk about past events, compare this year with last year, or mention dates related to last year. It is neutral in formality and can be used in both casual and formal contexts.
Collocations and Patterns
- 작년에 + verb: to describe actions or events that happened last year (e.g., 작년에 여행했어요 - I traveled last year).
- 작년보다 + adjective: to compare this year with last year (e.g., 작년보다 더 추워요 - It's colder than last year).
- 작년 회의/작년 행사: referring to specific events that took place last year.
Tips
Be careful not to confuse '작년' with '올해' (this year) or '내년' (next year). '작년' always refers to the previous calendar year. When speaking about a specific month or day last year, you can combine it with other time expressions, like '작년 5월' (May last year).
Using '작년' correctly helps you situate events in time clearly and naturally in Korean conversation.