Meaning of 老头儿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5]
How to use 老头儿
老头儿 is an informal, spoken word for an old man, common in northern Chinese speech. It can sound warm or a bit disrespectful depending on tone and context, and some people use it jokingly for their own father or husband. Example: 公园里有一个老头儿在下棋。(Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu yí ge lǎotóur zài xiàqí.) An old man is playing chess in the park.
老 (lǎo) means old and 头 (tóu) means head, so an "old head" is an old man. The 儿 (r) at the end is the northern 儿化 sound that makes the word feel casual and spoken.
Common mistake: Learners often call an elderly stranger 老头儿 to his face, which can sound rude. Use 老大爷 (lǎo dàye) or 爷爷 (yéye) instead. Also, 儿 is not a separate syllable here: say lǎotóur, not lǎo tóu ér.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
老 lǎo · prefix used before the surname of a per… · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
头 tóu · head · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
儿 ér · son · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 老头儿.
| 这儿 | zhèr | here |
| 儿子 | érzi | son |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where?; wherever; anywhere; somewhere |
| 女儿 | nǚ'ér | daughter |
| 那儿 | nàr | there |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 一会儿 | yīhuìr | a moment; a while |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work |
| 一点儿 | yīdiǎnr | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 女孩儿 | nǚháir | erhua form of 女孩[nu : 3 hai2] |
| 一块儿 | yīkuàir | erhua variant of 一塊|一块[yi1 kuai4] |
Questions about 老头儿
What does 老头儿 mean?
老头儿 (lǎotóur) means "see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5]" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 老头儿?
老头儿 is made of 3 characters: 老 (6 strokes), 头 (5 strokes), 儿 (2 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 老头儿 an HSK word?
Yes. 老头儿 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 老头儿 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 老头儿 is written 老頭兒.
What is the difference between 老头儿 and 老头子?
Both mean old man and are informal. 老头子 (lǎotóuzi) often sounds harsher or more dismissive, though an older wife may also use it affectionately for her husband. 老头儿 usually sounds a little lighter and more colloquial.
Is there a female equivalent of 老头儿?
Yes, 老太太 (lǎotàitai) means old lady and is more polite. A casual counterpart is 老太婆 (lǎotàipó), but it can sound rude, so be careful using it.