Chinese–EnglishWith examples

老

lǎo · lao

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 1Old HSK 3

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  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. old (of people)
  3. venerable (person)
  4. experienced
  5. of long standing
  6. always
  7. all the time
  8. of the past
  9. very
  10. outdated
  11. (of meat etc) tough
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In a conversation

0:18 cartoon

Where is Lao Wang?

  1. Liangliang

    老(lǎo)王(wáng)每天(měitiān)都(dōu)来(lái)公园(gōngyuán)跑步(pǎobù)。

    Lao Wang comes to jog in the park every day.

  2. Dengdeng

    今天(jīntiān)他(tā)怎么(zěnme)没(méi)来(lái)？

    Why didn't he come today?

  3. Liangliang

    他(tā)说(shuō)他(tā)老(lǎo)了(le)，跑不动(pǎobùdòng)了(le)。

    He says he's old now and can't run any more.

  4. Dengdeng

    老(lǎo)王(wáng)才(cái)六十(liùshí)岁(suì)，不(bù)老(lǎo)！

    Lao Wang is only sixty, not old!

  5. Liangliang

    对(duì)，他(tā)老是(lǎoshi)这样(zhèyàng)说(shuō)。

    Right, he always says that.

  6. Dengdeng

    看(kàn)，他(tā)骑车(qíchē)来(lái)了(le)！

    Look, he's coming on his bike!

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

你(nǐ)能(néng)告(gào)诉(sù)我(wǒ)“年(nián)老(lǎo)”的(de)“老(lǎo)”字(zì)的(de)笔(bǐ)顺(shùn)吗(ma)？

Could you tell me the stroke order of the character "lǎo" in the word "niánlǎo"?

Tatoeba: Chinese by jan_OkulaJu · English by jan_OkulaJu · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

这(zhè)位(wèi)老(lǎo)教(jiào)授(shòu)的(de)讲(jiǎng)座(zuò)冗(rǒng)长(cháng)而(ér)沉(chén)闷(mèn)。

The old professor's lectures are long-winded and ponderous.

Tatoeba: Chinese by slo_oth · English by patgfisher · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Stroke order & practice

Choose a character to watch its strokes or trace it yourself.

Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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