老 lǎo
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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outdated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
- 偕老 to grow old together
- 老脸(老臉) self-respect of old person; face; thick-skinned (i.e. impervious to criticism); brazen
- 老骥伏枥,志在千里(老驥伏櫪,志在千里) an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 miles
- 老毛子 Westerner (esp. a Russian)
- 早老素 presenilins
- 老太婆 old woman
- 五老君 five elders
- 艾老 a person who is 50 years of age
- 老头子(老頭子) an old man
- 古老肉 sweet and sour pork
- 老生 venerable middle-aged or elderly man
- 老二 second eldest child
- 老皇历(老皇曆) past years' almanac; ancient history; obsolete practice; old-fashioned principle
- 老街坊 old neighborhood
- 老虔婆 old hag ; a madam in charge of a brothel
- 波澜老成(波瀾老成) splendid and powerful (of story); majestic; awesome
- 老小 the old and the young; the youngest member of the family
- 老鼠拉龟,无从下手(老鼠拉龜,無從下手) like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip; no clue where to start
- 大老粗 uncouth fellow; rustic
- 老旦 old woman role
- 老官 a respectful reference to somebody or form of address; sir ; amy husband
- 普通老百姓 common people; average people; hoi polloi
- 养儿防老(養兒防老) (of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age
- 老太爷(老太爺) elderly gentleman (respectful); esteemed father
- 老化 aging
- 老气横秋(老氣橫秋) arrogant because of one's seniority
- 老古板 overly conservative; old-fashioned; old fogey; a square
- 半老徐娘 middle-aged but still attractive woman; lady of a certain age
- 水老鸦(水老鴉) common name for cormorant
- 老小老小 as one ages, one becomes more and more like a child
- 老烟枪(老煙槍) heavy smoker; chain smoker; life-long smoker
- 老辈(老輩) the older generation; ancestors
- 老伯 uncle
- 老茧(老繭) callus; corns
- 老家伙 old fellow; old codger
- 未老先衰 to age prematurely
- 骑上老虎(騎上老虎) riding a tiger; stuck in a difficult situation
- 昏老 feeble advanced age
- 敬老院 home of respect for aged; nursing home
- 遗老(遺老) an adherent of previous dynasty
- 老爷爷(老爺爺) father's father's father; paternal great-grandfather
- 一切反动派都是纸老虎(一切反動派都是紙老虎) all reactionaries are paper tigers
- 翻老皇历(翻老皇曆) to look to the past for guidance
- 扶老携幼(扶老攜幼) taking everyone along, young and old; to look after the elderly and the young
- 老掉牙 very old; obsolete; out of date
- 老当益壮(老當益壯) old but vigorous; hale and hearty despite the years
- 老太公 aged gentleman (dialect, respectful term)
- 一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥(一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥) a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee; one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
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
- 第三十四回 Chapter 34 Journey to the West 西遊記 — count: 41
- 第十六回 Chapter 16 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
- 第三十九回 Chapter 39 The Scholars 儒林外史 — 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
- 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
- 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
- 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