'Year-long' describes something that lasts a whole year, or goes on all through the year. It sits in front of a noun: a year-long course, a year-long study, a year-long argument.

'Year-long' describes『year-long』是用來形容 something that lasts a whole year持續一整年、or goes on all through the year或整年都在進行的事情。It sits in front of a noun它放在名詞前面：a year-long coursea year-long course（為期一年的課程）、a year-long studya year-long study（為期一年的研究）、a year-long argumenta year-long argument（吵了一整年的爭論）。

Two shades of meaning live in it. Sometimes it means 'twelve months from start to finish' — a year-long trip around the world. Sometimes it means 'it never stopped the whole year' — a year-long drought, a year-long wait for an answer.

Two shades of meaning live in it裡面藏著兩種意思。Sometimes it means有時候指的是 'twelve months from start to finish''從頭到尾整整十二個月'—— a year-long trip around the worlda year-long trip around the world（為期一年的環球旅行）。Sometimes it means有時候指的是 'it never stopped the whole year''整年都沒停過'—— a year-long droughta year-long drought（長達一年的乾旱）、a year-long wait for an answera year-long wait for an answer（等一個答案等了一整年）。

The second use often carries a feeling: the writer is telling you how long and how tiring it was.

The second use often carries a feeling第二種用法通常帶著一種感覺：the writer is telling you寫的人是在告訴你 how long and how tiring it was這件事有多長、多累人。

Because it is a compound adjective, it takes a hyphen when it comes before a noun, and English speakers usually keep the hyphen even after the verb ('the strike was year-long'), though many writers would just say 'the strike lasted a year' there, which sounds more natural. The same pattern makes month-long, week-long, day-long, hour-long, decade-long — so once you know this one you know all of them.

Because it is a compound adjective因為它是複合形容詞，when it comes before a noun放在名詞前面時 it takes a hyphen會加連字號，and even after the verb就算放在動詞後面 English speakers usually keep the hyphen英語使用者通常也會保留連字號 ('the strike was year-long')('the strike was year-long')，though many writers would just say不過很多人其實會直接說 'the strike lasted a year' there'the strike lasted a year'，which sounds more natural聽起來更自然。The same pattern makes同樣的規則也造出 month-longmonth-long（為期一個月的）、week-longweek-long（為期一週的）、day-longday-long（為期一天的）、hour-longhour-long（長達一小時的）、decade-longdecade-long（長達十年的）——so once you know this one you know all of them所以學會這一個，其他的你也都會了。