German

Suffix

-jährig

1. in compound words: years old
2. in compound words: years lasting
   • 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 49/2010, page 80:

     Nach dreijähriger Flaute werden in Deutschland erstmals wieder deutlich mehr Wohnungen und Häuser gebaut.

     After a slack period lasting three years, for the first time there are significantly more apartments and houses constructed again in Germany.

Usage notes

• If combined with a number written with digits, a hyphen may be used in the compound word (e.g. 3jährig or 3-jährig); if combined with a word, no hyphen is used (e.g. dreijährig). However, the spelling reform rules of 1996 etc. proscribe spellings like 3jährig and prescribe spellings like 3-jährig.