佬 meaning and stroke order
Elder; mature
How to write 佬, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 8
Meaning of 佬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- male
- man (Cantonese)
How 佬 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An old 老 person 亻; 老 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 佬
A person 亻 standing next to 老 (lǎo, old) gives you 佬, a grown man or "guy." The 老 part also tells you the sound, so 佬 is read lǎo just like 老.
佬 almost never stands alone. It is a suffix meaning "guy" or "fellow," often with a casual or teasing tone, and it comes from Cantonese usage. Example: 他是这一行的大佬。(Tā shì zhè yì háng de dàlǎo.) He is a big shot in this field.
Common mistake: Learners often write 老 when they mean 佬, for example 大老 instead of 大佬. If the word means "guy" or a type of person, it needs the person radical 亻.
Common words with 佬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 基佬 | jīlǎo | (slang) gay guy | |
| 乡巴佬 | xiāngbalǎo | (derog.) country bumpkin; hick | |
| 大佬 | dàlǎo | big shot (leading some field or group); godfather (in an organization) | |
| 北方佬 | běifānglǎo | northerner; guy from the north |
佬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 佬
How many strokes are in 佬?
佬 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 佬 mean?
佬 (lǎo) means elder; mature. A common word with it is 基佬 (jīlǎo), meaning "(slang) gay guy".
How do you pronounce 佬?
佬 is pronounced lǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 佬?
The radical of 佬 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 佬 under this radical.
Is 佬 rude or offensive?
It depends on the word. 大佬 can be admiring or joking, but 乡巴佬 (xiāngbalǎo) is clearly an insult, and 基佬 (jīlǎo) can be offensive depending on who says it and how. Treat 佬 words as informal and be careful using them about strangers.
What does 大佬 mean in internet slang?
Online, people call someone 大佬 when that person is very skilled or knowledgeable, a bit like calling them an expert or a pro. It is often used humbly, as in asking a 大佬 for help.