Chinese Notes

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lǎo adjective outdated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

老墨 a Mexican
老弱 old and weak ; old and weak people
百岁老人(百歲老人) centenarian
老是 always
老庄(老莊) Laozi and Zhuangzi (or Lao-tze and Chuang-tze), the founders of Daoism
老耄 dim sight of the aged; doddering; senile
老臣 an old minister
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
老框框 rigid conventions; reactionary framework
老年性痴呆症(老年性痴獃症) senile dementia
圣诞老人(聖誕老人) Father Christmas; Santa Claus
老伴儿(老伴兒) husband or wife
老子英雄儿好汉，老子反动儿混蛋(老子英雄兒好漢，老子反動兒混蛋) If the father is a hero, the son is a real man. If the father is a reactionary, the son is a bastard. (Cultural Revolution slogan)
养老保险(養老保險) old-age insurance
老视眼(老視眼) presbyopia
护老者(護老者) carer of elderly persons; aged care worker
老狐狸 old fox /cunning person
长老(長老) an elder ; an elder monastic
老皇历(老皇曆) past years' almanac; ancient history; obsolete practice; old-fashioned principle
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
老鸟(老鳥) old hand; veteran
老婆饼(老婆餅) laopo pastry
老佛爷(老佛爺) title of respect for the queen mother or the emperor's father
老兄 brother; comrade
老套 hackneyed; well-worn (phrase etc); same old story; stereotypical fashion
龙头老大(龍頭老大) a big boss; the leader of a group
老气横秋(老氣橫秋) arrogant because of one's seniority
老花镜(老花鏡) presbyopic glasses
老成 experienced; trained; mellowing ; an experienced person ; a person advanced in both years and virtue ; skillfully written
翻老皇历(翻老皇曆) to look to the past for guidance
老少咸宜 suitable for young and old
耆老 an elderly person; an elder
老姥 old lady
少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲(少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲) if you are lazy in your prime, you'll be sorry in your old age
青天大老爷(青天大老爺) just and incorruptible official
老街坊 old neighborhood
衰老 old and feeble
老头儿(老頭兒) old man ; father ; husband
老虎菜 Tiger Vegetable Salad
见老(見老) to become old
养儿防老(養兒防老) (of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age
颓老(頹老) old and decrepit; senile
老半天 a long time
老态龙钟(老態龍鍾) doddering; senile
养老送终(養老送終) to look after one's aged parents and arrange proper burial after they die
徐娘半老 middle-aged but still attractive woman; lady of a certain age

Also contained in

老河口、八大元老、老舍纪念馆、老河口市、老官斋教

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
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
庶老 (庶老) 養庶老於下庠 — The Book of Rites 禮記, 《王制》 Royal Regulations — 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
师老 (師老) 師老矣 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 僖公 Lord Xi — count: 4