# 老生常谈

lǎo shēng cháng tán

A familiar point repeated too often

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** An old scholar's habitual talk

**Traditional Chinese:** 老生常談

**Register:** Evaluative · general

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Describe a worn-out observation or commonplace.

Familiar advice may still be useful.

## Understanding the expression

The phrase imagines an experienced speaker repeating the same well known lessons. Modern use can dismiss a point as banal or acknowledge that advice has been heard many times. The tone ranges from impatient to modest. Familiarity does not make the content false or useless. A basic principle may deserve repetition when practice still falls short, so the important question is whether the speaker adds useful context or merely fills time with familiar words.

## Examples

这又是老生常谈的建议。

### Traditional Chinese

這又是老生常談的建議。

zhè yòu shì lǎo shēng cháng tán de jiàn yì 。

This is another familiar, overused suggestion.

安全第一虽是老生常谈，仍很重要。

### Traditional Chinese

安全第一雖是老生常談，仍很重要。

ān quán dì yī suī shì lǎo shēng cháng tán ， réng hěn zhòng yào 。

Safety first is a commonplace but remains important.

她不想演讲变成老生常谈。

### Traditional Chinese

她不想演講變成老生常談。

tā bù xiǎng yǎn jiǎng biàn chéng lǎo shēng cháng tán 。

She does not want the speech to become stale repetition.

他用新案例解释老生常谈的道理。

### Traditional Chinese

他用新案例解釋老生常談的道理。

tā yòng xīn àn lì jiě shì lǎo shēng cháng tán de dào lǐ 。

He explains a familiar principle through new cases.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%80%81%E7%94%9F%E5%B8%B8%E8%AB%87)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=336&webMd=1&la=0)

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