Chinese Grammar Bank

HOW TO USE 老是 AS A COMPLAINT

In Chinese, 老是 (lǎoshì) is often used to express a habitual action with a slightly negative tone.

It can be translated as “always” in English, but it’s typically used to complain about or criticize something.

BASIC STRUCTURE

Key Points:

➡️ Tone: “老是” carries a tone of dissatisfaction, annoyance, or criticism. “老是” is informal and best suited for casual conversations. We can use “总是 (zǒngshì)” to express “always” with a more neutral tone.

➡️ Position: “老是” is placed before the verb.

➡️ Context: It is commonly used to describe repeated undesirable actions.

PATTERN

Subject + 老是 + Verb (Phrase)

➡️ Complaining about someone being late

lǎoshì chídào.

老是迟到。

He’s always late.

➡️ Complaining about weather

Zuìjìn tiānqì lǎoshì xiàyǔ.

最近天气老是下雨。

It’s always been rainy lately.
View More Examples:
他老是迟到。Tā lǎoshì chídào.He’s always late.
你老是忘记带钥匙。Nǐ lǎoshì wàngjì dài yàoshi.You always forget to bring your keys.
孩子们老是打扰我工作。Háizimen lǎoshì dǎrǎo wǒ gōngzuò.The kids always disturb me when I’m working.
我的电脑老是出问题。Wǒ de diànnǎo lǎoshì chū wèntí.y computer is always having problems.
最近天气老是下雨。Zuìjìn tiānqì lǎoshì xiàyǔ.The weather has always been rainy lately.
他老是抱怨工作太多。Tā lǎoshì bàoyuàn gōngzuò tài duō.He’s always complaining about having too much work.
我们的邻居老是半夜吵闹。Wǒmen de línjū lǎoshì bànyè chǎonào.Our neighbours are always noisy in the middle of the night.
这个应用老是闪退。Zhège yìngyòng lǎoshì shǎntuì.This app is always crashing.
她老是吃零食,不吃正餐。Tā lǎoshì chī língshí, bù chī zhèngcān.She’s always eating snacks and skipping proper meals.
老板老是改我们的计划。Lǎobǎn lǎoshì gǎi wǒmen de jìhuà.The boss is always changing our plans.

Notes:

➡️ You can replace the verbs or subjects in these sentences to create your own examples. 

➡️ If you want to make the complaint more polite, you can soften the tone with words like 总是 (zǒngshì) or use 有时候 (yǒushíhòu) for “sometimes.”

Tā zǒngshì chídào.

总是迟到。

He’s always late. (neutral tone)

➡️ 老是 is informal and best suited for casual conversations.

COMPARE 老是 AND 总是

Although both “老是” and “总是” can be translated as “always,” they have distinct nuances in Chinese.

1. Tone

老是:

➡️ Negative tone: Often conveys annoyance, dissatisfaction, or criticism.
➡️ Associated with undesirable or problematic behavior.
➡️ Informal and more conversational.

lǎoshì chídào.

老是迟到。

He’s always late.

(Annoyed complaint about habitual tardiness.)

总是:

➡️ Neutral or positive tone: Can describe both good and bad habits without implying dissatisfaction.
➡️ Suitable for formal and informal contexts.

zǒngshì zhǔnshí dào.

总是准时到。

He’s always on time.

2. Context

老是:

➡️ Typically used in informal settings, such as casual conversations or when jokingly complaining.

lǎoshì wàngjì mìmǎ.

老是忘记密码。

I always forget my password.

(Expressing frustration with oneself.)

总是:

➡️ Used in both formal and informal contexts to describe consistent patterns or habits.

Tā zǒngshì dì yī gè wánchéng zuòyè.

她总是第一个完成作业。

She is always the first to finish her homework.

(Neutral tone; can be used in academic or formal settings.)

3. Frequency and Exaggeration

老是:

➡️ Often implies an exaggerated frequency of the action, even if it’s not literally “always.” This adds to its complaining tone.

lǎoshì dǎfān shuǐbēi.

老是打翻水杯。

You’re always knocking over your water cup.

(Maybe it only happens occasionally, but it feels frequent enough to annoy the speaker.)

总是:

➡️ Indicates a consistent and habitual frequency that is closer to the literal meaning of “always.”

zǒngshì zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ.

总是早睡早起。

He always goes to bed early and gets up early.

(Neutral tone; it describes a genuine routine.)

View More Examples
Sentence with 老是Sentence with 总是
他老是迟到,让人等他。
Tā lǎoshì chídào, ràng rén děng tā.
He’s always late and makes people wait.
他总是准时到。
Tā zǒngshì zhǔnshí dào
He’s always on time.
他总是准时到。
Tā zǒngshì zhǔnshí dào
He’s always on time.
你总是帮我提醒重要的事。
Nǐ zǒngshì bāng wǒ tíxǐng zhòngyào de shì.
You always remind me of important things.
他老是打扰我学习。
Tā lǎoshì dǎrǎo wǒ xuéxí.
He’s always disturbing me when I’m studying.
他总是鼓励我努力学习。
Tā zǒngshì gǔlì wǒ nǔlì xuéxí.
He always encourages me to study hard.
我的手机老是没信号。
Wǒ de shǒujī lǎoshì méi xìnhào.
My phone always has no signal.
我的手机总是有信号,真不错。
Wǒ de shǒujī zǒngshì yǒu xìnhào, zhēn búcuò.
My phone always has a signal; it’s great.
天气老是下雨,太麻烦了。
Tiānqì lǎoshì xiàyǔ, tài máfan le.
The weather is always rainy; it’s such a hassle.
天气总是晴朗,心情真好。
Tiānqì zǒngshì qínglǎng, xīnqíng zhēn hǎo.
The weather is always sunny; it puts me in a great mood.
她老是抱怨,听得人烦死了。
Tā lǎoshì bàoyuàn, tīng de rén fánsǐ le.
She’s always complaining; it’s so annoying to listen to.
她总是微笑,很有亲和力。
Tā zǒngshì wēixiào, hěn yǒu qīnhélì.
She’s always smiling and very approachable.
孩子老是哭,吵得我头疼。
Háizi lǎoshì kū, chǎo de wǒ tóuténg.
The child is always crying and giving me a headache.
孩子总是开心,家里充满欢笑。
Háizi zǒngshì kāixīn, jiālǐ chōngmǎn huānxiào.
The child is always happy, and the house is full of laughter.
他老是借钱不还,真不靠谱。
Tā lǎoshì jiè qián bù huán, zhēn bù kàopǔ.
He’s always borrowing money and never paying it back; so unreliable.
他总是按时还钱,很讲信用。
Tā zǒngshì ànshí huánqián, hěn jiǎng xìnyòng.
He always repays money on time and is very trustworthy.
我老是忘带午饭,饿了一整天。
Wǒ lǎoshì wàng dài wǔfàn, è le yì zhěng tiān.
I’m always forgettin my lunch and starving all day.
我总是自己带午饭,吃得很。
Wǒ zǒngshì zìjǐ dài wǔfàn, chī de hěn jiànkāng.
I always bring my own lunch and eat healthily.
你老是熬夜,对身体不好。
Nǐ lǎoshì áoyè, duì shēntǐ bù hǎo.
You’re always staying up late; it’s bad for your health.
你总是早睡早起,生活很规律。
Nǐ zǒngshì zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ, shēnghuó hěn guīlǜ.
You always go to bed early and get up early; your routine is very healthy.

Summary

Aspect老是总是
ToneNegative, complainingNeutral or positive
UsageInformal, conversationalBoth formal and informal
Examples 他老是打游戏,不学习。
tā lǎo shì dǎ yóu xì, bù xué xí 。
He’s always gaming, not studying.
他总是认真学习。
tā zǒng shì rèn zhēn xué xí 。
He always studies diligently.

LESSON SUMMARY

In this lesson, we explored the usage of 老是 (lǎoshì) in Chinese, which is often used to express frustration, annoyance, or criticism about a repeated or habitual action.

Here’s a summary of key points:

Meaning and Tone:

老是 translates to “always” but with a negative tone. It is used to complain about something that happens frequently and is irritating or undesirable.

It is typically used in informal contexts, like conversations with friends or family.

PATTERN

Subject + 老是 + Action/Verb.

他老是迟到Tā lǎoshì chídàoHe’s always late.

老是 is often paired with actions that cause inconvenience, frustration, or annoyance. For example, forgetting things, being late, or disturbing others.

It conveys exaggeration, implying that the action happens more frequently than it should.

Comparison with “总是”:

Unlike “总是” (which has a neutral or positive tone and can be used for both good and bad habits), “老是” is used for complaints and focuses on undesirable actions.


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FAQs

What does 老是 mean in Chinese?

老是 means “always” but is often used in a negative way to express annoyance or complaints.

How is 老是 different from 总是?

总是 is neutral, meaning “always” as a fact, while 老是 conveys frustration or dissatisfaction.

Can 老是 be used in formal writing?

No, 老是 is mainly used in spoken or informal written Chinese to express complaints.

What kind of situations commonly use 老是?

It is often used to complain about repeated bad habits or unpleasant situations, e.g., 他老是迟到! (He is always late!)

Is 老是 stronger than just saying 一直?

Yes, 一直 means “continuously” or “all the time” without any negative connotation, while 老是 implies annoyance.

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