老是

• Pinyin: lǎo shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 老 (lǎo) — always, continually (adverbial); 是 (shì) — emphasis particle

Meaning

Always; constantly. Often implies slight annoyance or frustration about a repeated situation.

Unlike 总是 which is more neutral, 老是 tends to carry a tone of complaint or mild exasperation. It emphasizes that something happens too often and the speaker is not happy about it.

Examples

1. 他老是迟到，老师很生气。 He's always late, and the teacher is very angry.
2. 你怎么老是忘记带钥匙？ How come you always forget to bring your keys?
3. 弟弟老是玩手机，不写作业。 My little brother is always playing on his phone and not doing homework.

Usage Guide

Context: complaint, everyday, family

Tone: mildly annoyed

Do Say

• 他老是不听话。(He never listens.)
• 天气老是下雨，真烦。(It's always raining — so annoying.)

Don't Say

• 不要在正式场合用'老是'来抱怨 (Don't use 老是 to complain in formal settings — use 经常 or 总是 instead for a more neutral tone)

Origin & History

Combination of 老 (always, continually — adverbial use) and 是 (emphasis marker). The adverbial use of 老 meaning 'always' dates back to classical Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal