司空见惯
在大城市里，早高峰的拥挤是司空见惯的现象。
In big cities, the crowded rush hour traffic is a commonplace sight.
Something so frequent or ordinary that it no longer surprises or impresses people.
对于他来说，加班已经是司空见惯的事情了。
For him, working overtime has become nothing out of the ordinary.
在热带地区，暴雨是司空见惯的自然现象。
In tropical regions, heavy rain is a commonplace natural phenomenon.
Often used to describe routines, natural phenomena, or social behaviors that are widely accepted as normal.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
When to use vs. '习以为常'
'司空见惯' emphasizes the frequency of occurrence making something unremarkable, while '习以为常' (xí yǐ wéi cháng) focuses more on personal habituation. For example, '交通拥堵对他来说司空见惯' (traffic jams are commonplace to him) implies the phenomenon is widespread, whereas '他习以为常地忍受交通拥堵' (he has grown accustomed to enduring traffic jams) emphasizes his personal adaptation.
Gold Rule
Subject-verb agreement
The idiom functions as a predicate describing the subject's state or a phenomenon's prevalence. It does not take objects. Incorrect: '他司空见惯了这种情况' (he is accustomed to this situation). Correct: '对他来说，这种情况司空见惯' (to him, this situation is commonplace).
Word Origin
Originates from the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi's poem 'Xiangzhou yin' (《咸池引》), where he wrote '司空见惯浑闲事' (sī kōng jiàn guàn hún xián shì), meaning 'things seen by the Minister of Works are all trivial matters.' The 'Minister of Works' (司空) historically referred to an official overseeing public works, implying that certain things become so familiar to those in power that they are no longer noteworthy.
Usage Notes
Primarily used in written Chinese or formal speech. Avoid using in highly casual or colloquial contexts unless mimicking a formal tone. Often appears in descriptive or observational sentences rather than active constructions.