Chinese word

老生常谈

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǎo shēng cháng tán

Meaning

  • idiomsame old topic

Example

他又在说老生常谈，大家都听腻了。tā yòu zài shuō lǎo shēng cháng tán dà jiā dōu tīng nì le

He is talking about the same old topic, and everyone is tired of hearing about it.

Illustration for 老生常谈 (same old topic)

More examples

这种说法已经成为老生常谈，难以引起注意。zhè zhǒng shuō fǎ yǐ jīng chéng wéi lǎo shēng cháng tán nán yǐ yín qǐ zhù yì

This way of putting it has already become a worn-out topic and is unlikely to attract attention.

Core concept

A conversation worn smooth by repetition, with no new edge left.

Common phrases

  • 成为老生常谈chéng wéi lǎo shēng cháng tán

    become a worn-out topic

  • 又是老生常谈yòu shì lǎo shēng cháng tán

    the same old topic again

Similar words

陈词滥调chén cí làn diào: Worn-out stock phrases that have lost their freshness through constant use.
老一套lǎo yí tào: A fixed old pattern of behavior or speech that remains unchanged and uninteresting.
套话tào huà: Stock phrases that sound proper or polite but carry little real meaning.
陈腔滥调chén qiāng làn diào: Clichéd expressions whose wording and tone have become tiresome to hear.

Definition in Chinese

用来指经常被重复提及、缺乏新意且让人感到厌烦的话语、观点或话题。yòng lái zhǐ jīng cháng bèi chóng fù tí jí quē fá xīn yì qiě ràng rén gǎn dào yàn fán de huà yǔ guān diǎn huò huà tí

Word origin

老生 (lǎoshēng, "an older male role in traditional opera") + 常谈 (chángtán, "customary talk") combine an established stage image with familiar talk heard again and again.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English uses of "old" for something trusted or warmly familiar, this idiom normally marks a complaint about a lack of freshness.

Other meanings

  • worn-out remarksidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word