老 meaning and stroke order
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; old (of people); venerable (person)
How to write 老, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 老
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- 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
- old (of people)
- venerable (person)
- experienced
- of long standing
- always
How 老 is built
Pictographic character. A person bent over with long hair 匕 and a crutch; compare 耂.
How to remember 老
老 (lǎo) is a picture of an old person bent over with long hair and a crutch. The top 耂 is the long-haired head and body, and the bottom 匕 is the bent figure leaning on a stick.
老 describes old people and long-standing things, and it also works as a friendly prefix before a surname, as in 老王 (Lǎo Wáng). It appears in very common words like 老师 (lǎoshī, teacher) and 老板 (lǎobǎn, boss). Example: 他是我的老朋友。(Tā shì wǒ de lǎo péngyou.) He is my old friend.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 老 with 考 (kǎo, to test), which has the same top 耂 but ends in 丂 instead of 匕. Also, do not use 老 for old objects in general. An old phone is 旧手机 (jiù shǒujī), not 老手机, unless you mean an old-fashioned model.
Common words with 老
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher | HSK 1 |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly | HSK 1 |
| 老朋友 | lǎo péngyou | old friend; (slang) period | HSK 2 |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always | HSK 2 |
| 老年 | lǎonián | elderly; old age | HSK 2 |
| 老王 | Lǎo Wáng | HSK 2 | |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss; proprietor | HSK 3 |
| 老太太 | lǎotàitai | elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother | HSK 3 |
| 老百姓 | lǎobǎixìng | ordinary people; the "person in the street" | HSK 3 |
| 老头儿 | lǎotóur | see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5] | HSK 3 |
| 老婆 | lǎopo | (coll.) wife | HSK 4 |
| 老公 | lǎogōng | (coll.) husband | HSK 4 |
| 老实 | lǎoshi | honest; sincere; well-behaved | HSK 4 |
| 老家 | lǎojiā | native place; place of origin | HSK 4 |
老 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 老
Learning 老 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 老
How many strokes are in 老?
老 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 老 mean?
老 (lǎo) means 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; old (of people); venerable (person). A common word with it is 老师 (lǎoshī), meaning "teacher".
How do you pronounce 老?
老 is pronounced lǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
Is 老 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 老 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Is it rude to call someone 老 in Chinese?
Usually not. 老 before a surname, like 老李 (Lǎo Lǐ), shows familiarity and some respect among peers or colleagues. Calling a person directly 老 to comment on their age can sound impolite, so many people prefer 年纪大 (niánjì dà) or 老人家 (lǎorénjia).
What does 老是 mean, and how is it different from 总是?
老是 (lǎoshì) means always or constantly, as in 他老是迟到 (Tā lǎoshì chídào), he is always late. It is more colloquial than 总是 (zǒngshì) and often carries a tone of complaint.