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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<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 id="used-with-verbs">Used with Verbs</h2>
<h3 id="structure">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 <a href=
"&quot;Always&quot;_with_&quot;zongshi&quot;" title="wikilink">the
word 总是</a>.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>老是 + Verb</p>
</div>
<p>You can also use "老" instead of "老是."</p>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 怎么 <em>老是</em> 加班 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme
<em>lǎoshì</em> jiābān?</span><span class="trans">Why do you always
work overtime?</span></li>
<li>他 <em>老</em> 说 脏 话 。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>lǎo</em> shuō
zānghuà.</span><span class="trans">He always says bad
words.</span></li>
<li>这个 机器 <em>老</em> 出 问题 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège jīqì
<em>lǎo</em> chū wèntí.</span><span class="trans">There is always
something wrong with this machine.</span></li>
<li>他 <em>老是</em> 抱怨 自己 的 生活 。<span class="pinyin">Tā
<em>lǎoshì</em> bàoyuàn zǐjǐ de shēnghuó.</span><span class=
"trans">He complains about his life all the time.</span></li>
<li>你 <em>老是</em> 找 借口 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>lǎoshì</em>
zhǎo jièkǒu.</span><span class="trans">You always make
excuses.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="used-with-adjectives">Used with Adjectives</h2>
<h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>
<p>When it is used together with an adjective, 老是 usually has an
adverb such as "不, 很, 非常, 这么, 那么" etc., after it.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 老是 + Adv. + Adj.</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>这个 老师 <em>老是</em> 很 严肃 。<span class="pinyin">Zhège lǎoshī
<em>lǎoshì</em> hěn yánsù.</span><span class="trans">This teacher
is always very serious.</span></li>
<li>你 <em>老是</em> 这么 凶 干吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>lǎoshì</em>
zhème xiōng gànmá?</span><span class="trans">Why are you always so
mean to me?</span></li>
<li>你 怎么 <em>老是</em> 不 高兴 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zěnme
<em>lǎoshì</em> bù gāoxìng?</span> <span class="trans">How are you
always unhappy?</span></li>
<li>别 <em>老是</em> 那么 自恋 。<span class="pinyin">Bié <em>lǎoshì</em>
nàme zìliàn.</span><span class="trans">Don't be so self-absorbed
all the time.</span></li>
<li>你 家 的 东西 怎么 <em>老是</em> 坏 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐ jiā de
dōngxi zěnme <em>lǎoshì</em> huài?</span><span class="trans">How
come there's always something broken in your house?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="&quot;Always&quot;_with_&quot;conglai&quot;" title=
"wikilink">"Always" with "conglai"</a></li>
<li><a href="&quot;Never&quot;_with_&quot;conglai&quot;" title=
"wikilink">"Never" with "conglai"</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further
reading</h2>
<h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=
"http://chinesepod.com/lessons/always-in-chinese-%E6%80%BB%E6%98%AF-z%C7%92ngshi-and-%E8%80%81%E6%98%AF-l%C7%8Eoshi">
Qingwen: Always in Chinese: 总是 (zǒngshì) and 老是</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="dictionaries">Dictionaries</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=
"%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8%EF%BC%88%E7%AC%AC5%E7%89%88%EF%BC%89"
class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语词典（第5版）</a> (pp. 145) <a href=
"http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693609&amp;sr=8-1">
→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title=
"wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p>
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