lǎo

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Definitions

  1. 1. 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
  2. 2. old (of people)
  3. 3. venerable (person)
  4. 4. experienced
  5. 5. of long standing
  6. 6. always
  7. 7. all the time
  8. 8. of the past
  9. 9. very
  10. 10. outdated
  11. 11. (of meat etc) tough

Example Sentences

1 shown
問題。
Source: Tatoeba.org

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org.

Words Containing 老

元老
yuán lǎo

senior figure

古老
gǔ lǎo

ancient

老人
lǎo rén

the elderly

老公
lǎo gōng

(coll.) husband

老公
lǎo gong

(coll.) eunuch

老化
lǎo huà

to age (of person or object)

老大
lǎo dà

very

老太太
lǎo tài tai

elderly lady (respectful)

老婆
lǎo pó

(coll.) wife

老字号
lǎo zì hào

shop, firm, or brand of merchandise with a long-established reputation

老家
lǎo jiā

native place

老实
lǎo shi

honest

老实说
lǎo shí shuō

honestly speaking; to be frank, ...

老师
lǎo shī

teacher

老年
lǎo nián

elderly

老是
lǎo shi

always

老朋友
lǎo péng you

(slang) period

老百姓
lǎo bǎi xìng

ordinary people

老虎
lǎo hǔ

tiger

老远
lǎo yuǎn

very far away

老乡
lǎo xiāng

fellow townsman; fellow villager; sb from the same hometown

老板
lǎo bǎn

Robam (brand)

老头儿
lǎo tóur

see 老頭子|老头子[lǎo tóu zi]

老鼠
lǎo shǔ

rat

衰老
shuāi lǎo

to age

说老实话
shuō lǎo shi huà

to be honest

养老
yǎng lǎo

to provide for the elderly (family members)

养老金
yǎng lǎo jīn

pension

养老院
yǎng lǎo yuàn

nursing home

Tony老师
t o n y lǎo shī

(slang) hairdresser

一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥
yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅粥
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu

see 一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥|一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥[yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu]

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)

七老八十
qī lǎo bā shí

in one's seventies (age)

七旬老人
qī xún lǎo rén

septuagenarian

上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo

lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)

不听老人言,吃亏在眼前
bù tīng lǎo rén yán , chī kuī zài yǎn qián

(idiom) ignore your elders at your peril

中老年人
zhōng lǎo nián rén

middle-aged and elderly people

九旬老人
jiǔ xún lǎo rén

nonagenarian

二老
èr lǎo

mother and father

以老大自居
yǐ lǎo dà zì jū

regarding oneself as number one in terms of leadership, seniority or status

元老院
yuán lǎo yuàn

upper house

兜老底兜鍪
dōu lǎo dǐ dōu móu

helmet (archaic)

八大元老
bā dà yuán lǎo

\the Eight Great Eminent Officials\ of the CCP, namely 鄧小平|邓小平[dèng xiǎo píng], 陳雲|陈云[chén yún], 李先念[lǐ xiān niàn], 彭真[péng zhēn], 楊尚昆|杨尚昆[yáng shàng kūn], 薄一波[bó yī bō], 王震[wáng zhèn], and 宋任窮|宋任穷[sòng rèn qióng]

出老千
chū lǎo qiān

to cheat (in gambling)

半老徐娘
bàn lǎo xú niáng

middle-aged but still attractive woman

古老肉
gǔ lǎo ròu

sweet and sour pork

吃角子老虎
chī jiǎo zi lǎo hǔ

slot machine

哥老会
gē lǎo huì

late-Qing underground resistance movement against the Qing dynasty

唐老鸭
táng lǎo yā

Donald Duck

啃老
kěn lǎo

(coll.) to live with and depend on one's parents even upon reaching adulthood

啃老族
kěn lǎo zú

(coll.) adults still living with and depending on their parents

回老家
huí lǎo jiā

to go back to one's roots

土老帽
tǔ lǎo mào

hillbilly

地老天荒
dì lǎo tiān huāng

see 天荒地老[tiān huāng dì lǎo]

大老婆
dà lǎo pó

primary wife

大老粗
dà lǎo cū

uncouth fellow

大老远
dà lǎo yuǎn

very far away

大体老师
dà tǐ lǎo shī

cadaver for dissection in training medical students

天老爷
tiān lǎo ye

see 老天爺|老天爷[lǎo tiān yé]

天荒地老
tiān huāng dì lǎo

until the end of time (idiom)

孤老
gū lǎo

regular patron (at brothels)

官老爷
guān lǎo ye

nickname for official

宝刀不老
bǎo dāo bù lǎo

lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom)

尊老
zūn lǎo

respect the aged

小老婆
xiǎo lǎo pó

concubine

小老鼠
xiǎo lǎo shǔ

@

少年老成
shào nián lǎo chéng

accomplished though young

山中无老虎,猴子称大王
shān zhōng wú lǎo hǔ , hóu zi chēng dà wáng

in the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king (idiom)

年老
nián lǎo

aged

徐娘半老
xú niáng bàn lǎo

middle-aged but still attractive woman

怕老婆
pà lǎo pó

henpecked

托老所
tuō lǎo suǒ

senior center

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

扶老携幼
fú lǎo xié yòu

to look after the elderly and the young

敬老
jìng lǎo

respect for the aged

敬老尊贤
jìng lǎo zūn xián

to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom); to honor the great and the good

敬老席
jìng lǎo xí

priority seating for the aged (on buses etc)

敬老院
jìng lǎo yuàn

home of respect for aged

早老性痴呆
zǎo lǎo xìng chī dāi

(coll.) Alzheimer's disease

早老素
zǎo lǎo sù

presenilins

普通老百姓
pǔ tōng lǎo bǎi xìng

common people

月下老人
yuè xià lǎo rén

minor divinity concerned with marriage

月老
yuè lǎo

matchmaker

服老
fú lǎo

to admit to one's advancing years

木讷老人
mù nè lǎo rén

ungraduated ruler

未老先衰
wèi lǎo xiān shuāi

to age prematurely

棉兰老岛
mián lán lǎo dǎo

Mindanao (island in the Philippines)

母老虎
mǔ lǎo hǔ

tigress

水老鸦
shuǐ lǎo yā

common name for cormorant

法老
fǎ lǎo

pharaoh (loanword)

波澜老成
bō lán lǎo chéng

splendid and powerful (of story)

无颜见江东父老
wú yán jiàn jiāng dōng fù lǎo

(idiom) to be unable to return to one's hometown due to the shame of failure (originally referred to Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[xiàng yǔ], who chose not to retreat to Jiangdong after his humiliating defeat)

父老
fù lǎo

elders

狗逮老鼠
gǒu dǎi lǎo shǔ

lit. a dog who catches mice (idiom)

王老五
wáng lǎo wǔ

bachelor (lit. fifth child of the Wangs)

王老吉
wáng lǎo jí

Wanglaoji (beverage brand)

生老病死
shēng lǎo bìng sǐ

fig. the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality)

男女老少
nán nǚ lǎo shào

all kinds of people

男女老幼
nán nǚ lǎo yòu

everybody

白头偕老
bái tóu xié lǎo

until death do us part

白头到老
bái tóu dào lǎo

until death do us part

百岁老人
bǎi suì lǎo rén

centenarian

百老汇
bǎi lǎo huì

Broadway (New York City)

秋老虎
qiū lǎo hǔ

hot spell during autumn

空心大老官
kōng xīn dà lǎo guān

fake important personage

空心老大
kōng xīn lǎo dà

pretentious and vacuous person

算老几
suàn lǎo jǐ

just who do (you) think (you) are? (or \just who does (she) think (she) is?\ etc)

米奇老鼠
mǐ qí lǎo shǔ

Mickey Mouse

米老鼠
mǐ lǎo shǔ

Mickey Mouse

纸老虎
zhǐ lǎo hǔ

paper tiger

终老
zhōng lǎo

to spend one's last years

翻老皇历
fān lǎo huáng lì

to look to the past for guidance (idiom)

老一辈
lǎo yī bèi

previous generation

老丈人
lǎo zhàng ren

(coll.) father-in-law (wife's father)

老三篇
lǎo sān piān

Lao San Pian, three short essays written by Mao Zedong before the PRC was established

老三色
lǎo sān sè

the three plain colors used for clothing in the PRC in the 1960s: black, gray and blue

老幺
lǎo yāo

youngest

老二
lǎo èr

second-eldest child in a family

老人院
lǎo rén yuàn

nursing home

老伴
lǎo bàn

(of an elderly couple) husband or wife

老佛爷
lǎo fó yé

title of respect for the queen mother or the emperor's father

老来俏
lǎo lái qiào

mutton dressed as lamb

老例
lǎo lì

custom

老兄
lǎo xiōng

elder brother (often used self-referentially)

老儿
lǎo ér

father

老公公
lǎo gōng gong

husband's father

老兵
lǎo bīng

veteran

老到
lǎo dao

experienced and careful

老化酶
lǎo huà méi

aged enzyme

老千
lǎo qiān

cheat

老半天
lǎo bàn tiān

(coll.) a long time

老友
lǎo yǒu

sb who passed the county level imperial exam (in Ming dynasty)

老古板
lǎo gǔ bǎn

overly conservative

老君
lǎo jūn

Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, founder of Taoism

老地方
lǎo dì fāng

same place as before

老城区
lǎo chéng qū

Laocheng district of Luoyang City 洛陽市|洛阳市[luò yáng shì], Henan

老境
lǎo jìng

advanced years

老墨
lǎo mò

(coll.) a Mexican

老外
lǎo wài

(coll.) foreigner (esp. non Asian person)

老大不小
lǎo dà bù xiǎo

no longer a child (idiom)

老大哥
lǎo dà gē

big brother

老大娘
lǎo dà niáng

Madam (polite address)

老大妈
lǎo dà mā

\Madam\ (affectionate term for an elderly woman)

老大爷
lǎo dà yé

uncle

老天
lǎo tiān

God

老天爷
lǎo tiān yé

God

老天爷饿不死瞎家雀
lǎo tiān yé è bù sǐ xiā jiā què

lit. heaven won't let the sparrows go hungry (idiom)

老太公
lǎo tài gōng

aged gentleman (dialect, respectful term)

老太爷
lǎo tài yé

elderly gentleman (respectful)

老套
lǎo tào

hackneyed

老奶奶
lǎo nǎi nai

(coll.) father's father's mother

老奸巨猾
lǎo jiān jù huá

cunning

老好人
lǎo hǎo rén

one who tries never to offend anybody

老娘
lǎo niáng

maternal grandmother

老婆孩子热炕头
lǎo pó hái zi rè kàng tou

wife, kids and a warm bed (idiom)

老妈
lǎo mā

mother

老妈子
lǎo mā zi

amah

老子
lǎo zǐ

Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, the founder of Taoism

老子
lǎo zi

father

老子英雄儿好汉,老子反动儿混蛋
lǎo zi yīng xióng ér hǎo hàn , lǎo zi fǎn dòng ér hún dàn

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)

老客
lǎo kè

peddler

老家贼
lǎo jiā zéi

(dialect) sparrow

老实巴交
lǎo shi bā jiāo

(coll.) docile

老将
lǎo jiàng

commander-in-chief 將帥|将帅, the equivalent of king in Chinese chess

老小
lǎo xiǎo

the youngest member of the family

老小老小
lǎo xiǎo lǎo xiǎo

(coll.) as one ages, one becomes more and more like a child

老山自行车馆
lǎo shān zì xíng chē guǎn

Laoshan Velodrome, a Beijing 2008 Olympics venue

老年人
lǎo nián rén

the elderly

老年性痴呆症
lǎo nián xìng chī dāi zhèng

senile dementia

老年痴呆
lǎo nián chī dāi

senile dementia

老年痴呆症
lǎo nián chī dāi zhèng

senile dementia

老几
lǎo jǐ

where in the order of seniority among siblings?

老式
lǎo shì

outdated

老弟
lǎo dì

(affectionate form of address for a male who is not very much younger than oneself) my boy

老态
lǎo tài

decrepit

老态龙钟
lǎo tài lóng zhōng

doddering

老成
lǎo chéng

mature

老成持重
lǎo chéng chí zhòng

experienced and knowledgeable

老戏骨
lǎo xì gǔ

(dialect) veteran actor

老手
lǎo shǒu

experienced person

老抽
lǎo chōu

dark soy sauce

老拙
lǎo zhuō

geezer

老掉牙
lǎo diào yá

obsolete

老抠
lǎo kōu

penny-pincher

老挝
lǎo wō

Laos

老于世故
lǎo yú shì gù

experienced in the ways of the world (idiom); worldly-wise

老早
lǎo zǎo

a long time ago

老本
lǎo běn

capital

老框框
lǎo kuàng kuàng

rigid conventions

老梗
lǎo gěng

hackneyed

老样子
lǎo yàng zi

things as they were

老残游记
lǎo cán yóu jì

The Travels of Lao Tsan, novel by late Qing novelist Liu E 劉鶚|刘鹗[liú è]

老毛子
lǎo máo zi

Westerner (esp. a Russian) (derog.)

老毛病
lǎo máo bìng

chronic illness

老气横秋
lǎo qì héng qiū

proud of one's age and experience (idiom)

老江湖
lǎo jiāng hú

a much-travelled person, well acquainted with the ways of the world

老河口
lǎo hé kǒu

Laohekou, county-level city in Xiangfan 襄樊[xiāng fán], Hubei

老河口市
lǎo hé kǒu shì

Laohekou, county-level city in Xiangfan 襄樊[xiāng fán], Hubei

老油子
lǎo yóu zi

crafty fellow