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outdated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
- 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