How to say “always” in Chinese
always, all the time
“Always” in Chinese is 老是, lǎo shì: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
老是 is read lǎo shì: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On top, 日 “sun”.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “老是”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 老是. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他老是迟到。tālǎoshìchídàoHe's always late.
- 你怎么老是忘带钥匙nǐzěnmelǎoshìwàngdàiyàoshiWhy do you always forget your keys?
- 大夫，我最近老是头痛。dàifu,wǒzuìjìnlǎoshìtóutòngDoctor, I've been having headaches all the time lately.
- 我最近老是失眠，怎么办？wǒzuìjìnlǎoshìshīmián,zěnmebànLately I keep having trouble sleeping — what should I do?
- 他老是抱怨工作太累tālǎoshìbàoyuàngōngzuòtàilèiHe's always complaining that his work is too tiring.
- 他老是让别人等他tālǎoshìràngbiérénděngtāHe's forever keeping other people waiting.
More words from the lesson “Feeling sleepy”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “always” in Chinese?
“Always” in Chinese is 老是, pinyin lǎoshì.
What does 老是 mean?
老是 (lǎoshì) means “always, all the time”.
How do you write 老是?
老是 is 2 characters: 老 (lǎo) — old, respected; 是 (shì) — be. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 老是?
老是 is read lǎoshì. Tones: lǎo — third tone, shì — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“always” in the lesson “Feeling sleepy”
This word is from the topic “Health and habits” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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