老是 (always — a complaint)
The grumbling "always"
- always总是 is a neutral "always." But what if you want to complain?
- "You're always on your phone!" — that eye-roll is always老是.
- Same meaning as always总是, plus a dose of frustration.
Practice
Compared with 总是, 老是 adds …
老是 = 总是 with an eye-roll. For good things, use 总是.
Subject + prefix used before the…老(to be / is是) + …
you你why怎么always老是late迟到？
- always老是to arrive late迟到 = "always late" (and I'm fed up with it).
- Before an adjective, add not不 / very很 / so much这么: always老是not不happy高兴.
Explore
Correct or broken?
老是 is 总是 with a frown — a habit you're complaining about.
Practice
Complete: 你怎么 ____ 迟到? (Why are you always late?)
老(是) + Predicate, with a complaining tone: 老是迟到.
Practice
老是 is a good fit for praise, e.g. 你老是很努力 (you're always hard-working).
老是 complains — for praise use 总是 (你总是很努力).
Practice
Build: “This machine is always breaking down.”
Subject + 老是 + Predicate: 这个机器 + 老是 + 出问题.
Recap
Key idea
- Subject + prefix used before the…老(to be / is是) + Predicate — always (with a complaint)
- Same meaning as always总是, but with an eye-roll
- Don't use it for good things — use always总是 there
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Adverbs.