Definition
长年累月 is a fixed four-character idiom meaning 'year after year, month after month' — it emphasizes a very long period of continuous or repeated activity. It's often used as an adverb (长年累月地做某事) or an attributive modifier (长年累月的辛劳). The literal meaning ('long years, accumulating months') is transparent and not misleading, but it's a set phrase that learners should treat as a single lexical unit.
f.e.
year in year outover the yearsfor years on end
Examples
- 长年累月，。Tā cháng de zài wàimiàn dǎgōng, hěn shǎo huí jiā.He has been working away from home for years on end, rarely going back.
- 长年累月，。cháng de xīnqín nǔlì, zhōngyú huàn lái le jīntiān de chénggōng.Years of hard work have finally brought today's success.
- 长年累月，。Tā cháng jiānchí duànliàn, shēntǐ yìzhí hěn hǎo.She has kept exercising year after year, and her health has always been good.
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