吃老本 (chī lǎo běn) — to rest on one's laurels, to coast on past achievements
Definition
Literally 'eat one's old capital', this verb means to live off past achievements instead of putting in new effort. It is always negative — it implies laziness or decline, not pride in former success.
verb
to rest on one's laurelsto coast on past achievements
Examples
- 吃老本，。Tā zì cóng huò jiǎng hòu jiù yì zhí chī lǎo běn, bú zài nǔ lì le.He's been resting on his laurels ever since he won the award and no longer works hard.
- 吃老本，。Gōng sī bù néng zǒng chī lǎo běn, bì xū bú duàn chuàng xīn.The company can't just coast on past achievements; it must keep innovating.
- ，。Tā yǐ jīng chī le sān nián lǎo běn, xiàn zài gāi zhǎo gōng zuò le.He's been living off his past achievements for three years; now it's time to find a job.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.