Definition
成年累月 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning 'year in, year out' or 'for years on end'. It emphasizes the long, continuous duration of an action or state, often with a sense of monotony or persistence. You use it adverbially to describe something that goes on for many months or years without a break — like working hard, waiting, or experiencing hardship. It's more vivid than just saying 'many years' because it paints a picture of accumulated time piling up.
f.e.
year inyear outfor years on end (emphasizing continuous duration)
Examples
- 成年累月，。Tā chéng nián léi zài gōngdì shàng gànhuó, fēicháng xīnkǔ.He works on the construction site year in, year out — it's very hard.
- 成年累月。chéng nián léi de láolèi ràng tā de shēntǐ yuè lái yuè chà le.The exhaustion from years on end has made his health worse and worse.
- 成年累月，。Tā chéng nián léi jiānchí xiězuò, zhōngyú chūbǎn le dì yī běn shū.She persisted in writing year after year and finally published her first book.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.