Dictionary › 老是

老是

lǎo shi

HSK 3.0 level 4 2-character word

老是 (lǎo shi) means "always". It is an HSK 3.0 level 4 word, and was not on the old six-level HSK list.

What 老是 means

1. always

How 老是 is used in grammar

老是 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Frequency Adverbs: 经常、重新、老是、又 (HSK 2)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 5, adverbs (频率副词).

The characters in 老是

• 老lǎoprefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of…
• 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true…

Example sentences

• 你老是犯错。
  You're always making mistakes.
• 他老是开夜车。
  Tā lǎoshi kāiyèchē.
  He's always burning the midnight oil.
• 你老是不满意！
  You're never satisfied!
• 汤姆老是发牢骚。
  Tāngmǔ lǎoshi fāláosāo.
  Tom complains all the time.
• 这儿老是这么冷吗？
  Zhèr lǎoshi zhème lěng ma?
  Is it always so cold here?
• 我最近老是见到他。
  I have seen much of him lately.

Sounds the same

Read lǎo shi, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 老实honest; sincere; well-behaved; naive; gullible

Go deeper

• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read lǎo shi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.