积习难改
jī xí nán gǎi
old habits die hard
Character by character
积jī
accumulated
accumulated
习xí
habit
habit
难nán
hard
hard
改gǎi
change
change
Example
他退休好几年了，还是每天五点就醒，真是积习难改。
He retired years ago but still wakes at five every morning; old habits really do die hard.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Of personal habits built up over years, good or (more often) bad; often said of oneself with a resigned smile. Compare 积重难返 (3-20), which is about problems so deep-rooted that they can hardly be reversed.
Learn this in Lesson 163 · HSK 7–9: 戒不掉的瘾 (The habits we cannot break)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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