<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops"> <head> <title></title> <link href="../Styles/main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/> </head> <body> <h1>Using "always" as a complaint with "laoshi" </h1> <p>We have a few ways to say "always" in Chinese, and one of them is to use the word 老是 (lǎoshì).</p> <h2>Contents</h2> <div class="contents"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">1 Structure </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">2 Examples </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">3 See also </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4 Sources and further reading </span></li> <ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.1 Websites </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">4.2 Dictionaries</span></li> </ul> </ul> </div> <h3>Structure</h3> <p>老是 is an adverb, usually translated into English as "always." It expresses that an action or a condition constantly repeats or continues. 老是 also has an unsatisfied or frustrated tone and can be interchanged with the word 总是. You can also use 老 instead of 老是.</p> <div class="deux">老是 + Predicate</div> <p>The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.</p> <p>When 老是 is used together with an adjective, 老是 is usually followed by an adverb such as 不, 很, 非常, 这么, 那 etc. </p> <h3>Examples</h3> <div class="exemple"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 怎么 老是 加班 ？ Nǐ zěnme lǎoshì jiābān? Why do you always work late? </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">那个 孩子 老 说 脏 话 。 Nàge háizi lǎo shuō zāng huà. That kid always says bad words. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 怎么 老是 不 高兴 ？ Nǐ zěnme lǎoshì bù gāoxìng? How are you always unhappy? </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 儿子 上课 的 时候 老是 说话 。 Nǐ érzi shàngkè de shíhou lǎoshì shuōhuà. Your son talks all the time in the class. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这个 老师 老是 这么 严肃 。 Zhège lǎoshī lǎoshì zhème yánsù. This teacher is always so serious. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">别 老是 抱怨 。 Bié lǎoshì bàoyuàn. Stop complaining all the time. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">这个 机器 老 出 问题 。 Zhège jīqì lǎo chū wèntí. There is always something wrong with this machine. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他 经常 迟到 ，还 老是 找 借口 。 Tā jīngcháng chídào, hái lǎoshì zhǎo jièkǒu. He's always late. And he always makes excuses. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">奶奶 老是 忘 带 钥匙 。 Nǎinai lǎoshì wàng dài yàoshi. My grandma forgets to take her keys all the time. </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">你 老是 这么 凶 干吗 ？ Nǐ lǎoshì zhème xiōng gànmá? Why are you always so mean to me? </span></li> <li><span style="font-size: 20px;">他 真 讨厌 ，老是 跟 朋友 借钱 。 Tā zhēn tǎoyàn, lǎoshì gēn péngyou jièqián. He's such a nuisance. He borrows money from his friend very often.</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>See also</h3> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">"Always" with "conglai" "Never" with "conglai"</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>Sources and further reading</h3> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">Websites Qingwen: Always in Chinese: 总是 (zǒngshì) and 老是</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> <h3>Dictionaries</h3> <div class="See-also"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 20px;">现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 145) →buy</span><br/></li> </ul> </div> </body> </html>