Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 療養院 / 疗养院 | liáoyǎngyuàn |
| 養老院 / 养老院 | yǎnglǎoyuàn |
| 敬老院 | jìnglǎoyuàn |
In Mandarin, the term you choose depends on whether you are emphasizing medical recovery, general elderly care or being polite. 養老院 / 养老院 is the most common general term used when referring to a residential facility specifically for elderly people.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 療養院 / 疗养院 literally means 'convalescent home' or 'sanatorium', where 療養 (liáoyǎng) means 'to recuperate' and 院 (yuàn) means 'institution' or 'facility'. The term 養老院 / 养老院 literally means 'elderly care home', where 養老 (yǎnglǎo) means 'to care for the elderly' and 院 (yuàn) means 'institution'.
Which one should you use?
療養院 / 疗养院 focuses on medical recuperation and is used for people recovering from illness, whereas 養老院 / 养老院 focuses on long-term residential care for the elderly. Additionally, 敬老院 literally means 'respect-the-elderly home' and is often used as a more euphemistic or polite way to refer to a nursing home for the aged.
How do you pronounce it?
liáoyǎngyuàn
Did you know?
- While 養老院 / 养老院 is a standard term, the concept of 'filial piety' means many families avoid using the word openly, as placing a parent in a home was historically seen as a failure of duty.
- The character 養 in 養老院 / 养老院 is the same word used for 'raising' a child or 'keeping' a pet, reflecting a linguistic view of care as 'nourishing' the person.
- In some contexts, 療養院 / 疗养院 can refer to high-end luxury retreats for the wealthy to recover their health, rather than a medical facility for the sick.
Examples in context
- 请问，附近有什么好的养老院吗？Excuse me, are there any good nursing homes nearby?
- 我们的家人需要入住护理院。Our family member needs to stay in a nursing home.
- 我的祖母在附近的安养中心度过愉快的生活。My grandmother enjoys a happy life in a nearby nursing home.
- 我想去敬老院探望我的外婆。I want to visit my grandma at the nursing home.
- 我的爷爷正在疗养院接受康复治疗。My grandfather is undergoing rehabilitation in a nursing home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nursing home” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
