老

老 U+8001, 老 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8001 ← 耀 [U+8000] CJK Unified Ideographs 耂 → [U+8002]

⽼ U+2F7C, ⽼ KANGXI RADICAL OLD ← ⽻ [U+2F7B] Kangxi Radicals ⽽ → [U+2F7D]

老 U+F934, 老 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F934 ← 盧 [U+F933] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 蘆 → [U+F935]

Stroke order

Stroke order

老 (Kangxi radical 125, 老+0, 6 strokes, cangjie input 十大心 (JKP), four-corner 4471₁, composition ⿱耂匕)

1. Kangxi radical #125, ⽼.

• Appendix:Chinese radical/老
• 佬, 咾, 𡋎, 姥, 峔, 𢂢, 恅, 㧯, 㳣, 狫, 𫐥, 栳, 珯, 𦚱, 𥙕, 𤶁, 𬑑, 硓, 𥞠, 粩, 𮋨, 𦕳, 蛯, 𭈱, 𧻩, 𨀼, 𨈺, 𨠬, 𫦶, 銠(铑), 𭕮, 鮱
• 𣭢, 𦓜, 䳓, 㐗, 㖈, 𪸦, 𣴐, 𭾀, 𨚻, 𮧹, 𪀧, 𭓮, 𡶰, 荖, 𪰚, 𥥧, 䇭, 𮫃, 𬴖, 𧂕, 𨴛

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 960, character 25
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 28842
• Dae Jaweon: page 1407, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2778, character 1
• Unihan data for U+8001

• Unihan data for U+F934

trad.		老
simp. #		老
alternative forms		𠄰 𦒳 𠈣

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 人 (“man”) + 毛 (“hair”) + 匕 (“cane”) – a man with long hair (an old man), leaning on a cane. Compare top component to 孝 (OC *qʰruːs).

Cognate to 考 (OC *kʰluːʔ); the most commonly cited example of 轉注 (“reciprocal meaning”).

Unknown. Compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-raw (“withered, residue, corpse”), *rwat (“stiff, tough”), whence Burmese ရော် (rau, “wither, become overripe; age”), ရွတ် (rwat, “old, stiff, tough”). See also 古 (gǔ), 故 (gù).

An old Sino-Vietnamese borrowing is rệu (“overripe, pulpy”).

老

1. old; aged; elderly

   Antonyms: 幼, 少

   老樹／老树  ―  lǎoshù  ―  old tree

   老婦人／老妇人  ―  lǎo fùrén  ―  old woman

   人老了記性就差了。 [MSC, trad.]
   人老了记性就差了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Rén lǎo le jìxìng jiù chā le. [Pinyin]

   One's memory worsens when age increases.

2. old (as opposed to new); of long standing

   Antonym: 新 (xīn)

   老歌  ―  lǎo gē  ―  old song

   老朋友  ―  lǎopéngyǒu  ―  old friend

3. outdated; old-fashioned
4. original; former

   老地方  ―  lǎo dìfāng  ―  usual place

   老本行  ―  lǎo běnháng  ―  original profession

5. the elderly; one's elders

   敬老  ―  jìnglǎo  ―  to respect the elderly

   • 老吾老，以及人之老。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Lǎo wú lǎo, yǐjí rén zhī lǎo. [Pinyin]

     Respect my elders, and then others' elders.

6. Used after the surname of an old person to address a venerable old person

   王老  ―  Wáng lǎo  ―  revered old Wang

7. (figurative) experienced

   Antonym: 嫩 (nèn)

   老手  ―  lǎoshǒu  ―  an old hand

   老兵  ―  lǎobīng  ―  veteran

   • 樊遲請學稼，子曰：「吾不如老農。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     樊迟请学稼，子曰：「吾不如老农。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Fán Chí qǐng xué jià, Zǐ yuē: “Wú bùrú lǎonóng.” [Pinyin]

     Fan Chi asked (Confucius) to teach him husbandry. The Master said, "I'm nowhere as good as an experienced farmhand."

8. (literary) to respect (the elderly, one's elders)

   • 老吾老，以及人之老。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Lǎo wú lǎo, yǐjí rén zhī lǎo. [Pinyin]

     Respect my elders, and then others' elders.

9. (of cooked food) overcooked; tough; stringy; hard

   牛排太老了，我咬不動它。 [MSC, trad.]
   牛排太老了，我咬不动它。 [MSC, simp.]

   Niúpái tài lǎo le, wǒ yǎo bù dòng tā. [Pinyin]

   The steak was so tough I couldn't eat it.

   這雞蛋煮老了，你沒掌握好火候。 [MSC, trad.]
   这鸡蛋煮老了，你没掌握好火候。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè jīdàn zhǔ lǎo le, nǐ méi zhǎngwò hǎo huǒhòu. [Pinyin]

   This egg is hard; you didn't time it properly.

10. (of food or potable liquids) stale; not fresh
11. always; all the time

    你別老這樣！／你别老这样！  ―  Nǐ bié lǎo zhèyàng!  ―  Stop being always like this!

12. (chiefly dialectal) very; quite

    老早  ―  lǎozǎo  ―  very early

    他人老好了。  ―  Tā rén lǎo hǎo le.  ―  He is such a nice person! [colloquial, somewhat regional]

    看到儂真個老開心個。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
    看到侬真个老开心个。 [Shanghainese, simp.]

    ⁵khoe-tau ⁶non ¹tsen-gheq ⁶lau ¹khe-shin-gheq [Wugniu]

    I am really happy to see you.

13. (euphemistic, of an elderly person) to die; to pass away (usually with 了 (le) or 掉 (diào))

    • 她教給我的道理還很多，例如說人死了，不該說死掉，必須說「老掉了」。 [MSC, trad.]
      她教给我的道理还很多，例如说人死了，不该说死掉，必须说「老掉了」。 [MSC, simp.]

      From: 1928, Lu Xun, 阿長與山海經 (Ah-Chang and the Classic of Mountains and Seas)

      Tā jiào gěi wǒ de dàolǐ hái hěnduō, lìrú shuō rén sǐle, bùgāi shuō sǐdiào, bìxū shuō “lǎo diào le”. [Pinyin]

      She's taught me many more such lessons, for example, when someone dies, one ought not speak of their "death", but rather their "passing".

    • 等我老勒仔，墳做勒鄉下頭去。 [Ningbonese, trad.]
      等我老勒仔，坟做勒乡下头去。 [Ningbonese, simp.]

      From: 1996, Tang Zhenzhu, Wu Xinmin and Wu Xinxian, 寧波方言詞典, page 80

      When I die I want to have my grave in the countryside.

14. (endearing, respectful) Used before surnames to refer to heads or elder members of families.

    → 小 (xiǎo) (for younger people)

    老張馬上來了，我得趕緊收拾一下屋子。 [MSC, trad.]
    老张马上来了，我得赶紧收拾一下屋子。 [MSC, simp.]

    Lǎo Zhāng mǎshàng lái le, wǒ děi gǎnjǐn shōushí yī xià wū zǐ. [Pinyin]

    Old Zhang is going to be here any minute. I need to hurry up and straighten the room up a bit.

15. (usually respectful and endearing) Used by analogy in several other relationship terms.

    老師／老师  ―  lǎoshī  ―  teacher

    老婆  ―  lǎopó  ―  wifey

    老公  ―  lǎogōng  ―  hubby

16. (obsolete, originally honorific) Prefix for animals or people considered senior, fierce, and often awe-inspiring.

    老鷹／老鹰  ―  lǎoyīng  ―  eagle

    老虎  ―  lǎohǔ  ―  tiger

    老鼠  ―  lǎoshǔ  ―  mouse, rat; (obsolete) bat

    老狼  ―  lǎoláng  ―  (rare) elder and experienced wolf

    老貓／老猫  ―  lǎomāo  ―  (rare) elder (potentially annoying) cat

    老狐狸  ―  lǎohúlí  ―  (surviving usage) elder, cunning and experienced fox

    老傢夥／老家伙  ―  lǎojiāhuǒ  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

    老東西／老东西  ―  lǎodōngxī  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

    老雜碎／老杂碎  ―  lǎozásuì  ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

17. (Cantonese, colloquial) Prefix for nouns with negative impressions or connotations.

    老強／老强 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou⁵ koeng^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  rape

    老作 [Cantonese]  ―  lou⁵ zok³ [Jyutping]  ―  made-up

    發老脾／发老脾 [Cantonese]  ―  faat³ lou⁵ pei^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  to get angry

    老解 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou⁵ gaai² [Jyutping]  ―  People's Liberation Army

18. (Cantonese, colloquial) Prefix for nouns to express familiarity.

    老尖 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou⁵ zim¹ [Jyutping]  ―  Tsim Sha Tsui

    老銅／老铜 [Hong Kong Cantonese]  ―  lou⁵ tung^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  Causeway Bay

19. (colloquial) Used before nouns, especially names of ethnicities, places and countries, to form nouns.

    老外  ―  lǎowài  ―  foreigner; (pejorative) layman, one who lacks knowledge of a subject

    老美  ―  lǎoměi  ―  Yank

    老表  ―  lǎobiǎo  ―  a friend (direct speech, may be intimate or offensive depending on provinces)

    老毛子  ―  lǎomáozi  ―  (pejorative) Russian person

    老蒙古  ―  lǎoménggǔ  ―  (pejorative) Mongols

    老北京  ―  lǎoběijīng  ―  indigenous Beijing person

    老山東／老山东  ―  lǎoshāndōng  ―  indigenous Shandong person

    老西兒／老西儿  ―  lǎoxīr  ―  (affectionate) Shanxi person

    老回回  ―  lǎohuíhuí  ―  Hui person (affectionate in some cases, pejorative in other cases, never neutral, depends on the region, speaker, listener, situation and speaking mood)

20. Short for 老子 (Lǎozǐ, “Laozi; Lao Tzu”).
21. (Mainland China, Hong Kong) Short for 老撾／老挝 (Lǎowō, “Laos”).

• (old):

• (very):

• (to die):

• (antonym(s) of “old”): 嫩 (nèn), 幼 (yòu)

• “老”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A03251

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. old age, an elderly person, the aged, the elderly

• Go-on: ろう (rō, Jōyō)^{←らう (rau, historical)}
• Kan-on: ろう (rō, Jōyō)^{←らう (rau, historical)}
• Kun: おいる (oiru, 老いる, Jōyō)、ふける (fukeru, 老ける, Jōyō)、おい (oi)
• Nanori: えび (ebi)、おい (oi)、び (bi)

From Middle Chinese 老 (MC lawX).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	로ᇢ〯 (Yale: lwǒw)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2]	늘글〮 (Yale: nùlkúl)	로〯 (Yale: lwŏ)

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾo̞(ː)] ~ [no̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [로(ː)/노(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

老 (eumhun 늙을 로 (neulgeul ro), word-initial (South Korea) 늙을 노 (neulgeul no))

1. hanja form^? of 로/노 (“old”) [affix; suffix]

老: Hán Việt readings: lão^[1][2][3]
老: Nôm readings: lảo^[1][3][4], lảu^[1][3][4], lão^[1][2], lẽo^[1][3], láu^[3][4], rảu^[3][4], láo^[1], lạo^[1], não^[1], rau^[1], sáu^[1], lểu^[2], lếu^[3], lẩu^[3]

1. chữ Hán form of lão (“old; aged”).