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多年来 (duō nián lái) — for the past many years; over the years

Definition

Phrase meaning 'for the past many years', typically used as a topic-setting time adverbial at the start of a sentence. Unlike 近年来 (recent years only) or 历来 (over the years, more formal), 多年来 emphasizes a long ongoing stretch.

phrase
for the past many yearsover the years

Examples

  • 多年来，。
    duō nián lái, Tā yì zhí zài zhōng guó shēng huó.
    Over the years, he has been living in China.
  • 多年来，。
    duō nián lái, Zhè ge chéng shì fā shēng le jù dà de biàn huà.
    Over the years, this city has undergone huge changes.
  • 多年来，。
    duō nián lái, Tā yì zhí jiān chí xué xí zhōng wén.
    For many years, she has persistently studied Chinese.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

多年many years
多duōmany年niányear
偏正Modifier + head
来láisince

多年 means many years, and 来 indicates the stretch from the past up to now.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Frequency & DurationTime (Abstract)

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.