Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
老本
lǎoběn
Description
"老本"是指一个人存下来的钱，或者做事情最原始的资本。
"老本" refers to the money a person has saved or the original capital for doing something.
我们常常说"吃老本"，意思是只用以前的东西，不再学习新的。
We often say "吃老本", meaning to rely only on what was previously acquired and stop learning new things.
Meanings
老本lǎoběn
one's savings or original capital
他不想动自己的老本。
He doesn't want to rely on his old resources.
吃老本chī lǎoběn
rely on past achievements or old resources
不能一直吃老本，要多学新东西。
You can't live off past achievements; you need to learn new things.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
老 (old) + 本 (capital/principal), literally "old capital."
- Nuance
often used in the phrase 吃老本, implying complacency or living off the past.
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