Word: 老生常谈 (lǎoshēngchángtán) Traditional: 老生常談 老生常谈 dictionary entry lǎoshēngchángtán an old observation (idiom); a truism; banal comments Full dictionary entry for 老生常谈 Example sentences using 老生常谈 2 sentences, showing page 1 of 1. 早睡早起是老生常谈了。 Zǎoshuìzǎoqǐ shì lǎoshēngchángtán le. Going to bed and getting up early is an old refrain by now. 校长的讲话又是老生常谈。 Xiàozhǎng de jiǎnghuà yòu shì lǎoshēngchángtán. The principal's talk was the same old commonplaces again.