老是 lǎo shi — always

Meanings

1. 1

   always

   always

   adverb

Character breakdown

• 老

  lǎo (third tone, dipping)

  old, aged; long-established; (before a verb) always, forever doing something; a familiar or respectful prefix for people

  6 strokes⿸耂匕Radical 老
• 是

  shì (fourth tone, falling)

  to be (am, is, are); yes, that is so; correct, right

  9 strokes⿱日正Radical 日

Words containing 老

• 老lǎo (third tone, dipping)old, aged (of people and animals)
• 老师/老師lǎoshī (third tone, dipping)teacher
• 老板lǎo (third tone, dipping) bǎn (third tone, dipping)boss
• 老婆lǎo (third tone, dipping) pó (second tone, rising)(coll.) wife
• 老公lǎo (third tone, dipping) gōng (first tone, high and level)(coll.) husband
• 老人lǎo (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising)old man or woman
• 老大lǎo (third tone, dipping) dà (fourth tone, falling)old age
• 老鼠lǎo (third tone, dipping) shǔ (third tone, dipping)rat
• 老实/老實lǎo (third tone, dipping) shí (second tone, rising)honest
• 古老gǔ (third tone, dipping) lǎo (third tone, dipping)ancient
• 老虎lǎo (third tone, dipping) hǔ (third tone, dipping)tiger
• 老家lǎo (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level)native place
• 老太太lǎo (third tone, dipping) tài (fourth tone, falling) tai (neutral tone)elderly lady (respectful)
• 老朋友lǎo (third tone, dipping) péng (second tone, rising) you (neutral tone)old friend
• 老百姓lǎo (third tone, dipping) bǎi (third tone, dipping) xìng (fourth tone, falling)ordinary people
• 老年lǎo (third tone, dipping) nián (second tone, rising)elderly
• 老人家lǎo (third tone, dipping) rén (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level)polite term for old woman or man

Words containing 是

• 是shì (fourth tone, falling)to be (A is B)
• 就是jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)exactly; precisely
• 但是dànshì (fourth tone, falling)but, however
• 只是zhǐ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling)merely; only; just; nothing but
• 还是/還是háishi (second tone, rising)or (in a question)
• 可是kě (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling)but
• 总是/總是zǒngshì (third tone, dipping)always, invariably
• 而是ér (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling)rather
• 于是/於是yú (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling)thereupon
• 正是zhèng (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)is precisely
• 要是yàoshi (fourth tone, falling)if, supposing
• 算是suàn (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)considered to be
• 或是huò (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)or
• 是不是shì (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling)is or isn't
• 也就是说/也就是說yě (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level)in other words
• 倒是dào (fourth tone, falling) shi (neutral tone)contrary to what one might expect
• 是非shì (fourth tone, falling) fēi (first tone, high and level)right and wrong