sī司Ministerkōng空of Public Worksjiàn见seeguàn惯accustomed
A common sight; nothing new; often seen.
Literal meaning
Minister (司) — of Public Works (空) — see (见) — accustomed (惯)
Origin
Derived from a story about a Minister of Public Works who was accustomed to seeing certain performances.
Examples
Zhè zhǒng xiànxiàng zài chéngshì lǐ yǐjīng sīkōngjiànguàn le.这种现象在城市里已经司空见惯了。
This phenomenon is already a common sight in the city.
Duìyú tā chídào, wǒmen yǐjīng sīkōngjiànguàn le.对于他迟到,我们已经司空见惯了。
We are already used to him being late.
Usage & nuances
Implies something is so common that it is no longer surprising or noteworthy.
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