老
lǎo/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
The English word 'old' is translated into Chinese as 老 (lǎo). Wiktionary also lists 年老的 (niánlǎo de) and 老年的 (lǎonián de).
Meaning: of a living being: having lived for relatively many years (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 老 | lǎo | /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
| 年老的 | niánlǎo de | |
| 老年的 | lǎonián de |
The primary way to express that a living being has lived for many years is using 老. In a colloquial context, 老 can be used as a prefix to indicate that someone is a veteran or highly experienced in a specific field, such as 老司机 (lǎo sījī – experienced driver).
Which one should you use?
While 老 can be used for both people and objects, it is the primary term for living beings, whereas for inanimate objects like 'old books', one might more frequently use 旧 (jiù).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ло (lo) is a Dungan variant.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective 老 in a simple sentence, it is common to precede it with an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn) to avoid the sentence sounding abrupt.
How do you pronounce it?
lǎo is pronounced /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴/.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, calling someone 老 can be a sign of respect for their wisdom and status rather than just a comment on their age.
- The character 老 is an ideogrammic compound that depicts a man with long hair leaning on a cane.
- The word 老 can be used to describe food that has been cooked for too long, such as meat that has become tough.
Examples in context
- 她又老又病。She was very old and ill.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use 老 to describe a person's state.Tatoeba #8091326 by jenny5752, translation #7756595 by CH
- 这是幢老楼。This is an old building.This sentence shows 老 being used to describe an inanimate object, such as a building.Tatoeba #8511512 by gumblex, translation #3422036 by CK
- 这是只老狗。It is an old dog.This sentence shows 老 being used to describe an animal.Tatoeba #12615458 by Enzo, translation #12615457 by Enzo
- 我们要尊敬 长者 (wǒmen yào zūnjìng zhǎng zhě )We should respect our elders.
- 他 年纪大 了，还喜欢玩游戏 (tā nián jì dà le, hái xǐhuān wán yóuxì)He is getting old but still enjoys playing games
- 这家医院专门为 老年人 服务 (zhè jiā yīyuàn zhuānmén wèi lǎo nián rén fúwù)This hospital specializes in providing services for senior citizens.
- 这辆车真是 老古董 了 (zhè liàng chē zhēnshi lǎo gǔdǒng le)This car is truly an antique.
- 207 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old” translations and entries 老, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 老, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
