Compound Adjectives

复合形容词

1. A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives work together to modify the same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or ambiguity.

复合形容词由两个或两个以上的形容词组成用以修饰一个名词。组成复合形容词的每个形容词之间要用连字符连接以避免混淆和词不达意。

Incorrect: The black and blue mark suggested that he had been involved in an altercation.

Correct: The black-and-blue mark suggested that he had been involved in an altercation.

Incorrect: Her fifteen minute presentation proved decisive to the outcome of the case.

Correct: Her fifteen-minute presentation proved decisive to the outcome of the case.

2. However, combining an adverb (usually a word ending in "ly") and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather than the subsequent noun.

但是，副词（通常以“ly”结尾）与形容词组合不能作为复合形容词使用，其间不需使用连字符，因为，显而易见，副词用以修饰形容词而非其后的名词。

Incorrect: The remarkably-hot day turned into a remarkably-long week.

Correct: The remarkably hot day turned into a remarkably long week.

3. Furthermore, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are capitalized, such as when they are part of a title.

此外，如果组成复合形容词的形容词为大写形式，例如：该附和形容词为文章题目的一部分，则不需在其间加以连字符。

Correct: His book was entitled, "Gender Neutral Language in English Usage," and it revolutionized the way people think about sex roles.

However: His book on gender-neutral language revolutionized the way people think about sex roles.

Correct: The students were participants in Chicago-Kent's vaunted Legal Research and Writing Program.

Also Correct:

同样正确

The student decided to attend a school with a good legal-research-and-writing program. Note that in this example, the reference is to a type of program, rather than a specific program, and so the use of hyphens is proper.