故伎重演 (gù jì chóng yǎn) — to play the same old tricks again (negative, critical); to be up to one's old tricks

Definition

A strongly critical idiom meaning 'to repeat the same old tricks' — used when someone (a person, company, or government) reuses a known scheme they used before, often a dishonest one.

idiom
to play the same old tricks again (negative, critical)to be up to one's old tricks

Examples

  • 故伎重演，。
    Nà ge piàn zi yòu gù jì chóng yǎn, piàn le hǎo jǐ gè rén.
    That swindler played the same old tricks again and cheated several people.
  • ，故伎重演，。
    Tā shàng cì jiù sā huǎng, zhè cì gù jì chóng yǎn, méi rén xìn tā le.
    He lied last time, and now he's up to his old tricks again — no one believes him.
  • 故伎重演，。
    Gōng sī gù jì chóng yǎn, yòng tóng yàng de shǒu duàn qī piàn xiāo fèi zhě.
    The company repeated its old tricks, deceiving consumers with the same methods.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

故伎old tricks
故gùold伎jìtrick
偏正Modifier + head
重演performed again
重zhòngagain演yǎnperform
偏正Modifier + head

故伎 (old tricks) and 重演 (performed again) describe the same old tricks being played again.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ故gù
Same sound today

故 uses 古 for the sound and 攵, written in full as 攴, for the meaning.

Open 故 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
支
支zhī伎jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

伎 combines 人, meaning “person,” with 支, which gives the sound.

Open 伎 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
寅
寅yín演yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

演 pairs 氵 (water) with 寅, which gives the sound yín.

Open 演 →

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