Using "always" as a complaint with "laoshi"

We have a few ways to say "always" in Chinese, and one of them is to use the word 老是 (lǎoshi).

Structure with a verb

老是 is an adverb, usually translated into English as "always". It expresses that an action or a condition constantly repeats or continues. It also has an unsatisfied or frustrated tone. It can be interchanged with the word 总是.

老是 + Verb

You can use "老" instead of "老是"：

老 + Verb

Examples

• 不要 老是 笑话 别人。Bùyào lǎo shì xiàohuà biérén.Don't laugh at other people all the time.
• 他 老是 喜欢 说 脏 话。Tā lǎo shì xǐhuān shuō zānghuà.He always likes saying dirty words.
• 你 老是 加班。Nǐ lǎo shì jiābān.You always work overtime.

Structure with Adjective

When it is used together with an adjective, it usually has an adverb before it, such as "很, 非常, 这么, 那么" etc.

老是 + (Adverb +) Adjective

Examples

• 你 怎么 老是 这么 高兴？Nǐ zěnme lǎo shì zhème gāoxìng?How are you always so happy?
• 他 的 脸 老是 很 红，很 可爱。Tā de liǎn lǎo shì hěn hóng, hěn kě'ài.His face is always red and cute.

See also

• "Always" with "conglai"
• "Never" with "conglai"

Sources and further reading

Websites

• Qingwen: Always in Chinese: 总是 (zǒngshì) and 老是

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp. 145) →buy