炒冷饭

炒冷飯

chǎolěngfàn

idiom #58,677

Meanings

1 to stir-fry leftover rice
2 (figuratively) to rehash old material
3 to recycle the same content with no new ideas

Characters

Examples

这部续集没什么新意，纯粹是在炒冷饭。

Zhè bù xùjí méi shénme xīnyì, chúncuì shì zài chǎolěngfàn.

This sequel has no new ideas — it's just rehashing the original.

他的演讲都是在炒冷饭，听众早就听腻了。

Tā de yǎnjiǎng dōu shì zài chǎolěngfàn, tīngzhòng zǎo jiù tīng nì le.

His speeches are all leftovers warmed up; the audience is sick of them.

Tips

memory

Literally 'stir-fry cold rice' — picture the obvious dish made by lazy cooks: yesterday's rice tossed in a wok with whatever's around. The metaphor maps cleanly onto sequels, retread speeches, or remixed content.

register

Colloquial and slightly dismissive. Frequently used in entertainment/tech reviews to call out unoriginal sequels, rebrands, or PR talking points.

Stroke Order

炒 chǎo

冷 lěng

饭 fàn