HSK 3 · VERSION 2.0#14
Using “Always” as a Complaint with “lǎo(shì)”
老（是）
How it works
老 or 老是 can mean “always,” often with a complaining tone.
The pattern
Subject + 老(是) + Verb / Adjective
Example sentences
你怎么老是迟到？
Why are you always late?
他老忘带东西。
He is always forgetting things.
外面老是下雨。
It is always raining outside.
Usage note
Compared with 总是, 老是 more easily sounds like a complaint.