Meaning of 老板
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- boss; proprietor
- Robam (brand)
- variant of 老闆|老板[lao3 ban3]
How to use 老板
老板 is the everyday word for the boss at work or the owner of a shop or restaurant. People also use it to address a shopkeeper directly when buying something. Example: 老板，这个多少钱？(Lǎobǎn, zhège duōshao qián?) Boss, how much is this?
老 (lǎo) means old or experienced, and 板 (bǎn) is a board, like in 黑板 (hēibǎn). Picture the experienced old hand who stands behind the shop counter board: that person is the 老板.
Common mistake: In 老板 the 老 does not mean the person is old. It works like the 老 in 老师 (lǎoshī), so a 25-year-old café owner is still a 老板. Also remember both syllables are third tone, so in speech the first becomes second tone: láobǎn.
老板 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
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
板 bǎn · board · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 老板.
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 老朋友 | lǎo péngyou | old friend; (slang) period |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 老年 | lǎonián | elderly; old age |
| 黑板 | hēibǎn | blackboard |
| 老王 | Lǎo Wáng | |
| 老太太 | lǎotàitai | elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother |
| 老百姓 | lǎobǎixìng | ordinary people; the "person in the street" |
| 老头儿 | lǎotóur | see 老頭子|老头子[lao3 tou2 zi5] |
| 老婆 | lǎopo | (coll.) wife |
| 老公 | lǎogōng | (coll.) husband |
Questions about 老板
What does 老板 mean?
老板 (lǎobǎn) means "boss; proprietor" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 老板?
老板 is made of 2 characters: 老 (6 strokes), 板 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 老板 an HSK word?
Yes. 老板 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 老板 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 老板 is written 老闆.
Can I call a shopkeeper 老板 even if I don't know them?
Yes. Calling out 老板 to a vendor, taxi driver or restaurant owner is very common and polite enough in casual settings. A female owner is often called 老板娘 (lǎobǎnniáng).
What is the difference between 老板 and 经理?
老板 is the owner or the person in charge who pays you. 经理 (jīnglǐ) is a manager, a job title that may not mean ownership. In a big company your 经理 is usually not the 老板.