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. 老是 also has an unsatisfied or frustrated tone and can be interchanged with the word 总是.

老是 + Verb

You can also use "老" instead of "老是."

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 xǐhuan shuō zānghuà.He always likes saying bad words.
• 老板 老是 让 我们 加班。Lǎobǎn lǎo shì ràng wǒmen jiābān.The boss always asks us to work overtime.
• 他 老 不 来 参加 培训。Tā lǎo bù lái cānjiā péixùn.He never comes to the training session.
• 你 老 在 别人 面前 说 我 的 坏话。Nǐ lǎo zài biérén miànqián shuō wǒ de huàihuà.You always like speaking evil of me in front of other people.

Structure with Adjective

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.

老是 ( + Adv.) + Adj.

Examples

• 你 怎么 老是 不 高兴？Nǐ zěnme lǎo shì bù gāoxìng? How are you always unhappy?
• 他 对 员工 老是 很 严肃。Tā duì yuángōng lǎo shì hěn yánsù.He is always serious with the employees.
• 你们 不要 老是 紧张。Nǐmen bù yào lǎo shì nàme jǐnzhāng . Don't always be so nervous.
• 我 楼上 的 邻居 晚上 老是 很 吵。Wǒ lóushàng de línjū wánshang lǎo shì hěn chǎo. My neighbor upstairs is always noisy in the night.
• 他 老是 对 人 不礼貌。Tā lǎo shì duì rén bù lǐmào.He's always impolite to people.

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