217 Always

Are there things that you always do that drive your partner or family a bit crazy? Always late? Always forget times and dates? Josh Edbrooke and ShaoLan talk about how to say “always” in Chinese and give a number of examples of how to use this word in different contexts. In fact, this episode is essential if you want to be able to have a good argument with your friend or partner! However, before it gets too negative, Josh and ShaoLan turn things around and show how to use the phrase in a positive way, or simply how to use it to describe factual or geographical events.

The way to say “always” in Chinese is 總是/总是. This word is extremely useful because it can describe anything from a person’s behaviour to a weather pattern. The first word 總/总 means “total” or “altogether” and the second word 是 means “is” or “to be,” so something that “altogether is” is something that is “always” like that, 總是/总是!