老毛病

lǎomáobìng
noun #23,471

Meanings

  1. 1 chronic illness
  2. 2 old weakness
  3. 3 recurring bad habit
  4. 4 same old problem

Examples

Tā de yāotòng shì lǎomáobìng, yī dào dōngtiān jiù fàn.
His back pain is a chronic problem that flares up every winter.
Chídào shì tā de lǎomáobìng, gǎi bu liǎo.
Being late is his same old problem — he just can't change.

Tips

usage
老毛病 covers both physical chronic conditions and persistent bad habits. When it refers to behavior, it carries a mildly exasperated or humorous tone. The verb used with it is (to flare up / to commit again).

Stroke Order

lǎo
máo
bìng