老大

lǎo dà

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Common

Definitions

1. very
2. eldest child in a family
3. leader of a group
4. boss
5. captain of a boat
6. leader of a criminal gang

Word relationships

Related words

3 items

• 老大不小 lǎo dà bù xiǎo 老大不小 lǎo dà bù xiǎo no longer a child (idiom) Derived from 老大, used in the idiom 老大不小: no longer a child (idiom)
• 老二 lǎo èr 老二 lǎo èr second-eldest child in a family Second eldest child, counterpart to 老大: second-eldest child in a family
• 老板 lǎo bǎn 老板 lǎo bǎn Robam (brand) When 老大 means 'boss' or 'leader': Robam (brand)

Synonyms

1 item

• 非常 fēi cháng 非常 fēi cháng very; really As an adverb meaning 'very': very; really

Usage notes

Cultural notes

In a family context, 老大 specifically denotes the eldest child, reflecting the importance of birth order in Chinese culture.

Formality

When used to address a leader or boss, 老大 is colloquial and informal, often implying a close relationship or loyalty.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他是我家的 老大 。

He is the eldest child in my family.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 老大

• 以老大自居 以老大自居 yǐ lǎo dà zì jū: regarding oneself as number one in terms of leadership, seniority or status
• 空心老大 空心老大 kōng xīn lǎo dà: pretentious and vacuous person
• 老大不小 老大不小 lǎo dà bù xiǎo: no longer a child (idiom)
• 老大哥 老大哥 lǎo dà gē: big brother
• 老大娘 老大娘 lǎo dà niáng: Madam (polite address)
• 老大妈 老大妈 lǎo dà mā: \Madam\ (affectionate term for an elderly woman)
• 老大爷 老大爷 lǎo dà yé: uncle
• 船老大 船老大 chuán lǎo dà: coxswain
• 龙头老大 龙头老大 lóng tóu lǎo dà: big boss

Child Words of 老大

• 大 大 dà: big; large; great
• 大 大 dài: see 大夫[dài fu]
• 老 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