for many years; year in and year out
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
over many years; for a long, continuous period of time
formalUsed to describe something that has persisted, been repeated, or accumulated over a very long time, often suggesting duration and perseverance. It is a formal, descriptive phrase, not an action verb.
Fù父
qin亲
cháng长
nián年
lěi累
yuè月
zài在
wài外
dǎ打
gōng工
，
gōng供
yǎng养
wǒ我
men们
xiōng兄
mèi妹
shàng上
xué学
。
Father worked away from home for many years to support my brother, sister, and me through school.
Zhè这
zuò座
mù木
qiáo桥
shì是
cūn村
mín民
men们
cháng长
nián年
lěi累
yuè月
、
yī一
shí石
yī一
mù木
qīn亲
shǒu手
jiàn建
zào造
de的
。
This wooden bridge was built by the villagers with their own hands, stone by stone and log by log, over many years.
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Cháng长
nián年
lěi累
yuè月
de的
xīn辛
qín勤
gēng耕
yún耘
zhōng终
yú于
huàn换
lái来
le了
kē科
yán研
shàng上
de的
zhòng重
dà大
tū突
pò破
。
Years and years of hard work and cultivation finally led to a major breakthrough in scientific research.