老百姓

• Pinyin: lǎo bǎi xìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 老 = 耂 (old) + 匕 (change), signifying age; 百 = one hundred; 姓 = 女 (woman) + 生 (born), meaning surname or family name

Meaning

Ordinary people; common folk; civilians. A collective term for everyday citizens as opposed to officials or the elite.

A warm, slightly colloquial way to refer to ordinary members of the public. Often used in news, political speech, and daily conversation to distinguish regular citizens from government officials or wealthy elites. Carries no negative connotation — it simply means regular people. 百姓 alone is more formal.

Examples

1. 这个政策对老百姓的生活有很大帮助。 This policy is a great help to ordinary people's lives.
2. 老百姓最关心的是房子和孩子的教育。 What common folk care most about is housing and their children's education.
3. 物价上涨让老百姓的压力越来越大。 Rising prices are putting more and more pressure on ordinary people.

Usage Guide

Context: news, politics, daily life

Tone: sympathetic

Do Say

• 老百姓都希望生活越来越好。(Ordinary people all hope for a better and better life.)
• 这件事对老百姓来说很重要。(This matter is very important to ordinary people.)

Don't Say

• 你就是一个老百姓！(Don't use 老百姓 as an insult to belittle someone — it is a neutral collective term, not a put-down.)

Origin & History

百姓 originally referred to the hundred noble clans in ancient China. Over time, it shifted to mean the common people. Adding 老 (old/familiar) makes it warmer and more colloquial.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal