老本 (lǎo běn) — business capital (initial investment in a venture); old edition (of a book, often rare or valuable); past reputation or glory (that one lives off)
Definition
老本 refers to one's original capital, old stock, or past achievements — things you can fall back on or 'live off.' As in 吃老本 (live off past glory), it often implies relying on past gains instead of growing.
noun
business capital (initial investment in a venture)old edition (of a book, often rare or valuable)past reputation or glory (that one lives off)
Examples
- 老本。Tā zuò shēng yi de lǎo běn dōu péi guāng le.He lost all his business capital.
- 老本，。Zhè běn lǎo běn hěn zhēn guì, shì qīng cháo chū bǎn de.This old edition is very precious, published in the Qing dynasty.
- ，。Bú yào zǒng shì chī lǎo běn, yào bú duàn xué xí xīn jì shù.Don't always rely on your past glory; you need to keep learning new skills.
Appears in
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