老 lǎo
-
lǎo
adjective
old; aged; elderly; aging
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
Notes: For example, in literary Chinese, 老馬識途 'an old horse knows the road', from Han Feizi's Shuo Lin Shang (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 1; DCP 'L50'; Kroll 2015 '老' 1; Unihan '老') -
lǎo
noun
Kangxi radical 125
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Radicals
Notes: (ABC back cover; GHC p. 7) -
lǎo
prefix
indicates seniority or age
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: In this use, 老 is a prefix used with a person's surname to indicate seniority or with numbers to indicate order or birth amongst brothers and sisters in a familar. For example, 老大 'eldest child' (ABC 'lǎo' 老 prefix 1; Kroll 2015 '老' 1a; Norman 1988, p. 113; Sun 2006, loc. 691). -
lǎo
adjective
vegetables that have become old and tough
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Food and Drink
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 4) -
lǎo
adverb
always
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: Note that in this sense 老 is used before the verb it modifies (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 2; Sun 2006, loc. 2053) -
lǎo
adverb
very
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 1) -
lǎo
adjective
experienced
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: (Unihan '老') -
lǎo
bound form
humble self-reference
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: Bound with 老身 'oldy' (Kroll 2015 '老' 1b) -
lǎo
adjective
of long standing
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 2) -
lǎo
adjective
dark
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Color
Notes: Of colors (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 5) -
lǎo
adjective
outdated
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 3) -
lǎo
noun
old people; the elderly
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 n 1) -
lǎo
noun
parents
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Family
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 n 2) -
lǎo
prefix
indicates familiarity
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: In this use, 老 is a diminutive venacular form used with a person's surname to indicate familiarity. For example, Lao Wang 老王, for somebody whose surname is Wang (ABC 'lǎo' 老 prefix 2; Kroll 2015 '老' 1a; Norman 1988, p. 113; Sun 2006, loc. 691). -
lǎo
adverb
for a long time
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 3)
Contained in
- 老虎机(老虎機) slot machine
- 老生常谭(老生常譚) a scholarly but banal observation
- 老小 the old and the young; the youngest member of the family
- 老酒 wine
- 老客儿(老客兒) regular customer
- 老框框 rigid conventions; reactionary framework
- 养老保险(養老保險) old-age insurance
- 老手 experienced person; an old hand
- 老烟枪(老煙槍) heavy smoker; chain smoker; life-long smoker
- 年老体弱(年老體弱) old and weak
- 养老(養老) to provide for the elderly ; to enjoy a life in retirement
- 老贼(老賊) an old thief
- 老不死 old but still alive; old fart; old bastard
- 船老大 coxswain; steersman; boatswain (bo'sun)
- 老婆孩子热炕头(老婆孩子熱炕頭) wife, kids and a warm bed; the simple and good life
- 养老院(養老院) nursing home
- 老辈(老輩) the older generation; ancestors
- 老大哥 big brother
- 老例 a convention; a habit; a custom
- 老到 experienced and careful
- 老人福利 senior citizens’ services
- 空心大老官 fake important personage; sham
- 老是 always
- 老远(老遠) very far away
- 无颜见江东父老(無顏見江東父老) to be unable to return to one's hometown due to the shame of failure
- 老妇人(老婦人) old lady (term of modesty)
- 宝刀未老(寶刀未老) treasure knife does not age; old but still vigorous
- 棉兰老岛(棉蘭老島) Mindanao (island in the Philippines)
- 老骨头(老骨頭) weary old body (colloquial term, used jocularly or irreverently)
- 老太公 aged gentleman (dialect, respectful term)
- 老君 Laozi; Lao-tze
- 老处女(老處女) unmarried old woman; spinster
- 老赖(老賴) debt dodger
- 老城 old town; old district of a city
- 老妈(老媽) mother; mom
- 老者 an old person; old people; the aged
- 老脸(老臉) self-respect of old person; face; thick-skinned (i.e. impervious to criticism); brazen
- 老辣 shrewd and ruthless; efficient and unscrupulous
- 老死 old age and death
- 老生 venerable middle-aged or elderly man
- 以老大自居 regarding oneself as number one in terms of leadership, seniority or status
- 养老送终(養老送終) to look after one's aged parents and arrange proper burial after they die
- 中老年 middle and old age
- 家老 a senior in one's household
- 长老(長老) an elder ; an elder monastic
- 防老 to prepare for old age
- 秋老虎 hot spell during autumn; Indian summer
- 老年人 old people; the elderly
- 耆儒硕老(耆儒碩老) an elderly eminent scholar
Also contained in
Word is mentioned most frequently in
Truncated for common words
- 第二十一回 Chapter 21 The Scholars 儒林外史 — count: 73
- 第七十五回 Chapter 75 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 68
- 第三十五回 Chapter 35 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 51
- 第三十八回 Chapter 38 The Scholars 儒林外史 — count: 49
- 第二十四回 Chapter 24 Water Margin 水滸傳 — count: 46
- 第一回 Chapter 1 The Scholars 儒林外史 — count: 43
- 第十六回 Chapter 16 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 41
- 第三十四回 Chapter 34 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 41
- 卷十九 志第九 禮樂九 Volume 19 Treatises 9: Rites and Music 9 New Book of Tang 新唐書 — count: 40
- 第九十回 Chapter 90 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 37
Collocations
- 叔老 (叔老) 季孫宿叔老會晉士匄 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 襄公 Lord Xiang — count: 12
- 国老 (國老) 國老皆賀子文 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 僖公 Lord Xi — count: 11
- 老幼 (老幼) 無有老幼 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 僖公 Lord Xi — count: 10
- 庶老 (庶老) 養庶老於下庠 — The Book of Rites 禮記, 《王制》 Royal Regulations — count: 8
- 三老 (三老) 而三老凍餒 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 昭公 Lord Zhao — count: 8
- 室老 (室老) 室老聞之曰 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 襄公 Lord Xiang — count: 7
- 老会 (老會) 季孫宿叔老會晉士匄 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 襄公 Lord Xiang — count: 6
- 授老 (授老) 授老鴈 — The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial 儀禮, 士昬禮 第二 2. Nuptial rites for a common officer — count: 5
- 襄老 (襄老) 射連尹襄老 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 宣公 Lord Xuan — count: 5
- 老五更 (老五更) 遂設三老五更群老之席位焉 — The Book of Rites 禮記, 《文王世子》King Wen as Son and Heir — count: 4