Meaning of 老实
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- honest; sincere
- well-behaved
- naive; gullible
How to use 老实
老实 describes people who are honest, well-behaved, or simple and easy to fool, depending on context. It is also common in the set phrase 老实说 (lǎoshi shuō), meaning "to be honest." Example: 他是个老实人。(Tā shì gè lǎoshi rén.) He is an honest person.
老 (lǎo) means old and 实 (shí) means real or solid. Picture an old, steady person who only tells you what is real, and you get someone honest and sincere.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 老实 (lǎoshi) with 老师 (lǎoshī, teacher) and 老是 (lǎoshì, always), since all three sound almost the same. In 老实 the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone, while 老师 has a clear first tone on 师.
老实 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
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
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实 shí · real · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 老实.
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 实在 | shízài | really; actually |
| 实现 | shíxiàn | to achieve; to implement; to realize; to bring about |
| 老朋友 | lǎo péngyou | old friend; (slang) period |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 实际 | shíjì | reality; practice |
| 实习 | shíxí | to practice; field work |
| 老年 | lǎonián | elderly; old age |
| 老王 | Lǎo Wáng | |
| 其实 | qíshí | actually; in fact; really |
| 确实 | quèshí | indeed; really |
Questions about 老实
What does 老实 mean?
老实 (lǎoshi) means "honest; sincere; well-behaved" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 老实?
老实 is made of 2 characters: 老 (6 strokes), 实 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 老实 an HSK word?
Yes. 老实 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 老实 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 老实 is written 老實.
Is 老实 always a compliment?
Not always. It can praise someone as honest, but it can also suggest a person is naive or too easy to push around. Context and tone of voice tell you which meaning is intended.
What does 老实点 mean?
老实点 (lǎoshi diǎn) is a command meaning "behave yourself" or "stop messing around." Parents or teachers might say it to a misbehaving child, and it can sound stern.