"老" • Chinese-English Dictionary

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老
Trad. 老
Radical
Radical
(Bushou)		 老
Radical 125
Composition
Strokes 6
Decomp. 耂匕
Prononciation
Mandarin lǎo
Entry Methods
Pinyin lao3
Kanji /
Cangjie
 JKP
十乂心
Sijiao 4471.1
Wubi FTXB
CNS 11643 1-4852
Encodages (hexa)
Unicode U+8001
GB2312 C0CF
BIG5 A6D1
HSK
Level 3
老 lǎo prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person) / experienced / of long standing / always / all the time / of the past / very / outdated / (of meat etc) tough
Results beginning with 老
老师 lǎo shī teacher / CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4]
老板 lǎo bǎn boss / business proprietor / CL:個|个[ge4]
老婆 lǎo pó (coll.) wife
老人 lǎo rén old man or woman / the elderly / one's aged parents or grandparents
老大 lǎo dà old age / very / eldest child in a family / leader of a group / boss / captain of a boat / leader of a criminal gang
老公 lǎo gong (coll.) eunuch / see also 老公[lao3 gong1]
老公 lǎo gōng (coll.) husband
老鼠 lǎo shǔ rat / mouse (CL:隻|只[zhi1])
老头 lǎo tóu old fellow / old man / father / husband
老子 lǎo zi father / daddy / "I, your father" (in anger, or out of contempt) / I (used arrogantly or jocularly)
老子 Lǎo zǐ Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, the founder of Taoism / the sacred book of Daoism, 道德經|道德经[Dao4 de2 jing1] by Laozi
老是 lǎo shi always
老虎 lǎo hǔ tiger / CL:隻|只[zhi1]
老爸 lǎo bà father / dad
老太 lǎo tài old lady
老总 lǎo zǒng boss / sir (person with a leading role in an organization) / (after a surname) high ranking commander in the PLA / (Qing dynasty) high ranking government official / (old) courteous term used by the general populace in addressing a rank-and-file soldier or police officer
老实 lǎo shi honest / sincere / well-behaved / naive / gullible
老年 lǎo nián elderly / old age / autumn of one's years
老妈 lǎo mā mother / mom
老者 lǎo zhě old man / elderly man
老爷 lǎo ye (respectful) lord / master / (coll.) maternal grandfather
老天 lǎo tiān God / Heavens
老外 lǎo wài (coll.) foreigner (esp. non Asian person) / layman / amateur
老家 lǎo jiā native place / place of origin / home state or region
老化 lǎo huà (of a person, population or material) to age / (of knowledge) to become outdated
老乡 lǎo xiāng fellow townsman / fellow villager / sb from the same hometown
老兄 lǎo xiōng elder brother (often used self-referentially) / (form of address between male friends) old chap / buddy
老二 lǎo èr second-eldest child in a family / (euphemism) penis
老歌 lǎo gē oldie (song)
老弟 lǎo dì (affectionate form of address for a male who is not very much younger than oneself) my boy / old pal
老将 lǎo jiàng lit. old general / commander-in-chief 將帥|将帅, the equivalent of king in Chinese chess / fig. old-timer / veteran
老爹 lǎo diē (dialect) father / old man / sir
老兵 lǎo bīng old soldier / veteran / veteran (sb who has a lot of experience in some domain)
老汉 lǎo hàn old man / I (an old man referring to himself)
老牌 lǎo pái old, well-known brand / old style / old school / an old hand / experienced veteran
老少 lǎo shào the old and the young
老远 lǎo yuǎn very far away
老友 lǎo yǒu old friend / sb who passed the county level imperial exam (in Ming dynasty)
老鹰 lǎo yīng (coll.) eagle / hawk / any similar bird of prey
老式 lǎo shì old-fashioned / old type / outdated
老伯 lǎo bó uncle (polite form of address for older male)
老伴 lǎo bàn (of an elderly couple) husband or wife
老娘 lǎo niáng my old mother / I, this old woman / my old lady (colloquial) / maternal grandmother / midwife
老手 lǎo shǒu experienced person / an old hand at sth
老朽 lǎo xiǔ decrepit and behind the times / old / useless / (humble) I / me (used by the elderly)
老话 lǎo huà an old saying
老练 lǎo liàn seasoned / experienced
老套 lǎo tào hackneyed / well-worn (phrase etc) / same old story / stereotypical fashion
老街 Lǎo jiē Lao Cai, Vietnam / Laokai or Laukkai, Burma (Myanmar)
老儿 lǎo ér father / husband / old man
老翁 lǎo wēng old man
老小 lǎo xiǎo the old and the young / the youngest member of the family
老旧 lǎo jiù outmoded / old-fashioned
老君 Lǎo jūn Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, founder of Taoism
老脸 lǎo liǎn self-respect of old person / face / thick-skinned (i.e. impervious to criticism) / brazen
老早 lǎo zǎo a long time ago
老父 lǎo fù father / old man / venerable sir
老路 lǎo lù old road / familiar way / beaten track / conventional behavior
老挝 Lǎo wō Laos
老龄 lǎo líng old age / aging / aged / geriatric / the aged
老酒 lǎo jiǔ wine, esp. Shaoxing wine
老丈 lǎo zhàng sir (respectful form of address for an old man)
老成 lǎo chéng mature / experienced / sophisticated
老到 lǎo dao experienced and careful
老鸨 lǎo bǎo female brothel keeper
老妪 lǎo yù old woman (formal writing)
老生 lǎo shēng venerable middle-aged or elderly man, usually wearing an artificial beard (in Chinese opera)
老庄 Lǎo Zhuāng Laozi and Zhuangzi (or Lao-tze and Chuang-tze), the founders of Daoism
老花 lǎo huā presbyopia
老迈 lǎo mài aged / senile
老老 lǎo lao maternal grandmother / same as 姥姥
老本 lǎo běn capital / assets / savings / nest egg / (fig.) reputation / laurels (to rest upon) / old edition of a book / (tree) trunk
老茧 lǎo jiǎn callus (patch or hardened skin) / corns (on feet) / also 老趼
老几 lǎo jǐ where in the order of seniority among siblings? / (sometimes used in rhetorical questions to express disparagement)
老赖 lǎo lài (coll.) debt dodger
老态 lǎo tài old and frail / decrepit / doddering / decrepitude / infirmities of old age
老辣 lǎo là shrewd and ruthless / efficient and unscrupulous
老叟 lǎo sǒu old man
老客 lǎo kè peddler / old or regular customer
老么 lǎo yāo youngest
老幺 lǎo yāo youngest
老辈 lǎo bèi the older generation / ancestors
老饕 lǎo tāo glutton
老旦 lǎo dàn old woman role in Chinese opera
老鸹 lǎo guā a crow
老边 Lǎo biān Laobian district of Yingkou City 營口市|营口市, Liaoning
老冰 lǎo bīng old ice
老城 lǎo chéng old town / old district of a city
老抽 lǎo chōu dark soy sauce
老粗 lǎo cū uneducated person / yokel / boor / roughneck
老聃 Lǎo Dān another name for Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3]
老等 lǎo děng to wait patiently / heron
老登 lǎo dēng (derog.) (dialect) old person
老雕 lǎo diāo vulture
老夫 lǎo fū I (spoken by an old man)
老梗 lǎo gěng (Tw) unoriginal / hackneyed / (of a joke) old
老鸹 lǎo gua (dialect) crow / raven
老黑 lǎo hēi (coll.) black person
老骥 lǎo jì old thoroughbred / fig. aged person with great aspirations
老趼 lǎo jiǎn callus / corns (on the feet)
老境 lǎo jìng advanced years / old age
老抠 lǎo kōu penny-pincher / miser
老了 lǎo le getting old
老例 lǎo lì custom / customary practice
老耄 lǎo mào dim sight of the aged / doddering / senile
老美 Lǎo Měi (coll.) an American / person from the United States
老墨 Lǎo Mò (coll.) a Mexican
老姥 lǎo mǔ old lady / (old woman's self-reference) I, me
老鸟 lǎo niǎo old hand / veteran
老派 lǎo pài old-fashioned / old-school
老谱 lǎo pǔ old ways / old habit
老千 lǎo qiān swindler / cheat (in gambling)
老去 lǎo qù to get old
老舍 Lǎo Shě Lao She (1899-1966), Chinese novelist and dramatist
老视 lǎo shì presbyopia
老死 lǎo sǐ to die of old age
老铁 lǎo tiě (slang) very close friend / bro
老土 lǎo tǔ old-fashioned / unstylish
老账 lǎo zhàng lit. old account / old debt / fig. old scores to settle / old quarrels / old grudge
老拙 lǎo zhuō old fart (usually in self-reference) / geezer
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老百姓 lǎo bǎi xìng ordinary people / the "person in the street" / CL:個|个[ge4]
老人家 lǎo rén jiā polite term for old woman or man
老年人 lǎo nián rén old people / the elderly
老太太 lǎo tài tai elderly lady (respectful) / esteemed mother / CL:位[wei4]
老头子 lǎo tóu zi (coll.) old man / (said of an aging husband) my old man
老板娘 lǎo bǎn niáng female proprietor / lady boss / boss's wife
老实说 lǎo shí shuō honestly speaking / to be frank, ...
老爷子 lǎo yé zi my (your etc) old father / polite appellation for an elderly male
老天爷 lǎo tiān yé God / Heavens
老家伙 lǎo jiā huo (coll.) old fellow / old codger
老虎机 lǎo hǔ jī slot machine
老太婆 lǎo tài pó old woman (at times contemptuous)
老字号 lǎo zì hào shop, firm, or brand of merchandise with a long-established reputation
老头儿 lǎo tóu r see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5]
老一辈 lǎo yī bèi previous generation / older generation
老妇人 lǎo fù rén old lady
老狐狸 lǎo hú li old fox / fig. cunning person
老爷爷 lǎo yé ye (coll.) father's father's father / paternal great-grandfather
老奶奶 lǎo nǎi nai (coll.) father's father's mother / paternal great-grandmother / respectful form of address for an old woman
老样子 lǎo yàng zi old situation / things as they were
老半天 lǎo bàn tiān (coll.) a long time
老龄化 lǎo líng huà aging (population)
老不死 lǎo bù sǐ (derog.) old but still alive / old fart / old bastard
老大爷 lǎo dà yé uncle / grandpa / CL:位[wei4]
老大哥 lǎo dà gē big brother
老江湖 lǎo jiāng hú a much-travelled person, well acquainted with the ways of the world
老毛病 lǎo máo bìng chronic illness / old weakness / chronic problem
老太爷 lǎo tài yé elderly gentleman (respectful) / esteemed father
老掉牙 lǎo diào yá very old / obsolete / out of date
老公公 lǎo gōng gong old man / husband's father / father-in-law / court eunuch
Approximate Results for 老
长老 zhǎng lǎo elder / term of respect for a Buddhist monk
古老 gǔ lǎo ancient / old / age-old
养老 yǎng lǎo to provide for the elderly (family members) / to enjoy a life in retirement
元老 yuán lǎo senior figure / elder / doyen
衰老 shuāi lǎo to age / to deteriorate with age / old and weak
年老 nián lǎo aged
苍老 cāng lǎo old / aged / (of calligraphy or painting) vigorous / forceful
变老 biàn lǎo to grow old / to age / aging
父老 fù lǎo elders
二老 èr lǎo mother and father / parents
法老 fǎ lǎo pharaoh (loanword)
偕老 xié lǎo to grow old together
月老 yuè lǎo matchmaker / go-between / same as 月下老人[yue4 xia4 lao3 ren2]
终老 zhōng lǎo to spend one's last years
敬老 jìng lǎo to respect the elderly
尊老 zūn lǎo respect the aged
孤老 gū lǎo solitary old man or woman / regular patron (at brothels)
垂老 chuí lǎo approaching old age
遗老 yí lǎo old fogy / adherent of previous dynasty
艾老 ài lǎo (literary) person aged over fifty / elderly person
八老 Bā lǎo "the Eight Great Eminent Officials" of the CCP, abbr. for 八大元老[Ba1 Da4 Yuan2 lao3]
赤老 chì lǎo variant of 赤佬[chi4 lao3]
服老 fú lǎo to admit to one's advancing years / to acquiesce to old age
家老 jiā lǎo (old) a senior in one's household
啃老 kěn lǎo (coll.) to live with and depend on one's parents even upon reaching adulthood
阔老 kuò lǎo variant of 闊佬|阔佬[kuo4 lao3]
颓老 tuí lǎo old and decrepit / senile
显老 xiǎn lǎo to look old
阎老 Yán lǎo (Buddhism) Yama, the King of Hell
庄老 Zhuāng Lǎo Zhuangzi and Laozi, the Daoist masters
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Tony老师 t o n y lǎo shī (slang) hairdresser
养老金 yǎng lǎo jīn pension
回老家 huí lǎo jiā to go back to one's roots / to return to one's native place / by ext. to join one's ancestors (i.e. to die)
中老年 zhōng lǎo nián middle and old age
米老鼠 Mǐ Lǎo shǔ Mickey Mouse
百老汇 Bǎi lǎo huì Broadway (New York City)
敬老院 jìng lǎo yuàn senior citizens' home / old folks' home
母老虎 mǔ lǎo hǔ tigress / (fig.) fierce woman / vixen
纸老虎 zhǐ lǎo hǔ paper tiger
小老婆 xiǎo lǎo pó concubine / mistress / (dialect) woman
怕老婆 pà lǎo pó henpecked / to be under one's wife's thumb
养老院 yǎng lǎo yuàn nursing home
长老会 Zhǎng lǎo huì Presbyterianism
元老院 yuán lǎo yuàn upper house / senate / senior statesmen's assembly
大老粗 dà lǎo cū uncouth fellow / rustic
王老吉 Wáng lǎo jí Wanglaoji (beverage brand)
秋老虎 qiū lǎo hǔ hot spell during autumn / Indian summer
啃老族 kěn lǎo zú (coll.) adults still living with and depending on their parents
地老虎  cutworm
哥老会 Gē lǎo huì late-Qing underground resistance movement against the Qing dynasty
安老院 ān lǎo yuàn (dialect) old people's home / nursing home
臭老九 chòu lǎo jiǔ stinking intellectual (contemptuous term for educated people during the Cultural Revolution)
船老大 chuán lǎo dà coxswain / steersman / boatswain (bo'sun)
出老千 chū lǎo qiān to cheat (in gambling)
大老婆 dà lǎo pó primary wife
大老远 dà lǎo yuǎn very far away
电老虎 diàn lǎo hǔ electricity hog / electricity guzzler
翻老账 fān lǎo zhàng to turn over old accounts / fig. to revive old quarrels / to reopen old wounds
官老爷 guān lǎo ye nickname for official
古老肉 gǔ lǎo ròu sweet and sour pork / also written 咕嚕肉|咕噜肉[gu1 lu1 rou4]
护老者 hù lǎo zhě carer of elderly persons / aged care worker
敬老席 jìng lǎo xí priority seating for the aged (on buses etc)
适老化 shì lǎo huà to make (products, living spaces etc) suitable for the elderly / (attributive) senior-friendly / elder-accessible
水老鴉 shuǐ lǎo yā common name for cormorant
水老鸦 shuǐ lǎo yā common name for cormorant
算老几 suàn lǎo jǐ just who do (you) think (you) are? (or "just who does (she) think (she) is?" etc)
唐老鸭 Táng Lǎo yā Donald Duck
天老儿 tiān lǎo r albino (human)
天老爷 tiān lǎo ye see 老天爺|老天爷[lao3 tian1 ye2]
土老帽 tǔ lǎo mào hillbilly / yokel / redneck / bumpkin
托老所 tuō lǎo suǒ senior center
王老五 wáng lǎo wǔ bachelor (lit. fifth child of the Wangs)
小老鼠 xiǎo lǎo shǔ @ / at symbol
早老素 zǎo lǎo sù presenilins
长老院 zhǎng lǎo yuàn Meshrano Jirga / House of Elders
养老保险 yǎng lǎo bǎo xiǎn old-age insurance
圣诞老人 Shèng dàn Lǎo rén Father Christmas / Santa Claus
语文老师 yǔ wén lǎo shī language and literature teacher
长生不老 cháng shēng bù lǎo immortality
生老病死 shēng lǎo bìng sǐ lit. to be born, to grow old, to get sick and to die / fig. the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality)
白头偕老 bái tóu xié lǎo (to live together until the) white hairs of old age (idiom) / to live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss / until death do us part
未老先衰 wèi lǎo xiān shuāi to age prematurely
扶老携幼 fú lǎo xié yòu taking everyone along, young and old / to look after the elderly and the young
少年老成 shào nián lǎo chéng accomplished though young / lacking youthful vigor
月下老人 yuè xià lǎo rén minor divinity concerned with marriage / matchmaker / go-between
宝刀未老 bǎo dāo wèi lǎo treasure knife does not age (idiom) / old but still vigorous
半老徐娘 bàn lǎo xú niáng middle-aged but still attractive woman / lady of a certain age
宝刀不老 bǎo dāo bù lǎo lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom) / fig. (of one's skills etc) to be as good as ever / the old man still has it
识途老马 shí tú lǎo mǎ lit. an old horse knows the way home (idiom) / fig. in difficulty, trust an experience colleague
白头到老 bái tóu dào lǎo (to live together until the) white hairs of old age (idiom) / to live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss / until death do us part
饱以老拳 bǎo yǐ lǎo quán to thump repeatedly with one's fist
波澜老成 bō lán lǎo chéng splendid and powerful (of story) / majestic / awesome
地老天荒 dì lǎo tiān huāng see 天荒地老[tian1 huang1 di4 lao3]
返老还童 fǎn lǎo huán tóng to recover one's youthful vigor / to feel rejuvenated (idiom)
狗逮老鼠 gǒu dǎi lǎo shǔ lit. a dog who catches mice (idiom) / fig. to be meddlesome
过街老鼠 guò jiē lǎo shǔ sb or sth detested by all / target of scorn / anathema / cf. 老鼠過街，人人喊打|老鼠过街，人人喊打[lao3 shu3 guo4 jie1 , ren2 ren2 han3 da3]
敬老尊贤 jìng lǎo zūn xián to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom) / to honor the great and the good
七老八十 qī lǎo bā shí in one's seventies (age) / very old (of people)
人老珠黄 rén lǎo zhū huáng (of a woman) old and faded
天荒地老 tiān huāng dì lǎo (idiom) until the end of time
徐娘半老 xú niáng bàn lǎo middle-aged but still attractive woman / lady of a certain age
养老送终 yǎng lǎo sòng zhōng to look after one's aged parents and arrange proper burial after they die
长老大会  General Fono
妓院老板  pimp
村长老会  Taupulega
爱老虎你 ài lǎo hǔ nǐ I love you (jocular transliteration from English)
八大元老 Bā Dà Yuán lǎo "the Eight Great Eminent Officials" of the CCP, namely 鄧小平|邓小平[Deng4 Xiao3 ping2], 陳雲|陈云[Chen2 Yun2], 李先念[Li3 Xian1 nian4], 彭真[Peng2 Zhen1], 楊尚昆|杨尚昆[Yang2 Shang4 kun1], 薄一波[Bo2 Yi1 bo1], 王震[Wang2 Zhen4], and 宋任窮|宋任穷[Song4 Ren4 qiong2] / abbr. to 八老[Ba1 lao3]
百岁老人 bǎi suì lǎo rén centenarian
白头谐老 bái tóu xié lǎo live to ripe old age in conjugal bliss / remain a devoted couple to the end of their lives
八旬老太 bā xún lǎo tài eighty year old lady
苍蝇老虎 cāng ying lǎo hǔ (coll.) jumping spider (which pounces on houseflies, hence the Chinese name)
长生不老 cháng shēng - bù lǎo (idiom) to live forever and never grow old
大体老师 dà tǐ lǎo shī cadaver for dissection in training medical students
翻老皇历 fān lǎo huáng lì to look to the past for guidance (idiom)
隔壁老王 gé bì Lǎo Wáng Mr Wang from next door (term used jocularly to refer to a neighbor who is supposedly sleeping with one's wife)
还给老师 huán gěi lǎo shī to forget (everything one has learned)
九旬老人 jiǔ xún lǎo rén nonagenarian
空心老大 kōng xīn lǎo dà pretentious and vacuous person
龙头老大 lóng tóu lǎo dà big boss / leader of a group / dominant (position)
漫谈老年 màn tán lǎo nián "initiative on age"
猫哭老鼠 māo kū lǎo shǔ the cat weeps for the dead mouse (idiom) / hypocritical pretence of condolence / crocodile tears
棉兰老岛 Mián lán lǎo Dǎo Mindanao (island in the Philippines)
米奇老鼠 Mǐ qí Lǎo shǔ Mickey Mouse
木讷老人 mù nè lǎo rén ungraduated ruler / straight edge
男女老少 nán nu:3 lǎo shào men, women, young and old / all kinds of people / people of all ages
男女老幼 nán nu:3 lǎo yòu men, women, young and old / everybody
年老力衰 nián lǎo lì shuāi old and weak (idiom)
年老体弱 nián lǎo tǐ ruò old and weak (idiom)
七旬老人 qī xún lǎo rén septuagenarian
人口老化 rén kǒu lǎo huà population
生老病死 shēng - lǎo - bìng - sǐ lit. to be born, to grow old, to get sick and to die (idiom) / fig. the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality)
说老实话 shuō lǎo shi huà to be honest / to tell the truth / to be frank
托尼老师 Tuō ní lǎo shī (neologism) (slang) barber / hairdresser
养儿防老 yǎng ér fáng lǎo (of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age
以老卖老 yǐ lǎo - mài lǎo variant of 倚老賣老|倚老卖老[yi3lao3-mai4lao3]
倚老卖老 yǐ lǎo - mài lǎo (idiom) to flaunt one's seniority / to rely on one's age or length of experience to control or belittle others
中老年人 zhōng lǎo nián rén middle-aged and elderly people
尊老爱幼 zūn lǎo ài yòu respect the old and cherish the young
普通老百姓 pǔ tōng lǎo bǎi xìng common people / average people / hoi polloi
长老理事会  Council of Elders
美国长老会  Presbyterian Church USA
国际助老会  HelpAge International
国际老龄年  international year on aging
非养老院化  deinstitutionalization
全国长老会  National Bashingantahe Council
扮猪吃老虎 bàn zhū chī lǎo hǔ to play the wolf in sheep's clothing / to disguise oneself as sth harmless in order to lull one's target into letting their guard down
吃角子老虎 chī jiǎo zi lǎo hu slot machine
吃角子老虎 chī jiǎo zi lǎo hǔ slot machine
兜老底兜鍪 dōu lǎo dǐ dōu móu helmet (archaic)
姜是老的辣 jiāng shì lǎo de là see 薑還是老的辣|姜还是老的辣[jiang1 hai2 shi4 lao3 de5 la4]
Chinese Tones