老是
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)
老是 (lǎoshi) · always
老是 (lǎoshi) means “always”. It is written with 2 characters: 老 (old) + 是 (to be). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 老是 is built
The characters
老 lǎo · old
What 老 is made of
- 耂lǎo — old
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 土tǔ — earth
- 匕bǐ — spoon
- 乚 — hook stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
Origin hint: A person bent over with long hair 匕 and a crutch; compare 耂 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
是 shì · to be
What 是 is made of
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 疋pǐ — foot shape
Origin hint: To speak 日 directly 疋 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
他老是不高兴。Tā lǎoshi bù gāoxìng.He is always unhappy.
你为什么老是看手机？Nǐ wèishénme lǎoshi kàn shǒujī?Why are you always looking at your phone?
Questions about 老是
What does 老是 mean?
老是 (lǎoshi) means “always”.
How do you pronounce 老是?
老是 is pronounced lǎoshi.
Which HSK level is 老是?
老是 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Related words
- 老人lǎorénold person
- 老师lǎoshīteacher
- 老年lǎoniánold age
- 老朋友lǎo péngyouold friend
- 老百姓lǎobǎixìngordinary people
- 老板lǎobǎnboss
- 老太太lǎotàitaiold lady
- 老头儿lǎotóurold man (informal)
- 老公lǎogōnghusband
- 老家lǎojiāhometown
Learn 老是 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 31: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.