长期以来 chángqīyǐlái for a long time
How to remember 长期以来: 长 long + 期 a period of time + 以 to use + 来 come = for a long time.
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How it is used
- 'For a long time (up to now), over a long period' - a set adverbial phrase - 长期以来，这个问题没有解决 (chángqī yǐlái, zhège wèntí méiyǒu jiějué) for a long time this problem has gone unsolved.
- Sits at the front of a sentence, formal/written; frames a persistent, ongoing state.
- Compare 一直 (yìzhí, all along); 长期以来 is heavier and more formal, spanning a long historical stretch.