lou5 sang1 soeng4 taam4老生常談老生常谈
Jyutpinglou5 sang1 soeng4 taam4
Yalelóuh sāng sèuhng tàahm
Definition
Platitude; cliché; commonplace remarks that are often repeated and lack novelty.
colloquialcommunicationdescriptions
How it's used
Carries a slightly dismissive or impatient tone, suggesting that the speaker finds the content predictable and uninspiring. It is often used to shut down a conversation that is repeating well-worn advice or obvious observations. While it originates from literary Chinese, it is frequently used in modern spoken Cantonese to criticize repetitive rhetoric.
Examples
These are all just clichés, there is no point in saying them.
Why are you still talking about these old platitudes?
Related words
Common phrases
purely a cliché
tired of hearing the same old platitudes
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a simple mistake or a lie, as it specifically refers to things that are true but overly familiar and boring. It is not a synonym for nonsense or gibberish.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
