老公

• Pinyin: lǎo gōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 老 = 土 (earth) + 人 (person) + 匕 (sign of age); 公 = 八 (divide) + 厶 (private) — originally meaning fair or public

Meaning

Husband (colloquial). An informal, affectionate term used by a wife to refer to or address her husband.

老公 is the most common everyday term for husband in modern spoken Chinese, preferred over the more formal 丈夫 in casual conversation. It is warm and intimate, widely used by couples of all ages. On social media, wives often use it affectionately in posts. It has also spread into internet slang where fans jokingly call their favourite celebrities 老公.

Examples

1. 我老公今天做了晚饭，特别好吃。 My husband cooked dinner today — it was especially delicious.
2. 老公，你下班的时候帮我买一袋面包好吗？ Honey, could you buy me a loaf of bread on your way home from work?
3. 她老公出差了，这个星期她一个人在家。 Her husband is on a business trip, so she's home alone this week.

Usage Guide

Context: family, everyday, social media

Tone: affectionate

Do Say

• 老公，今天辛苦了，快来吃饭吧。(Honey, you worked hard today — come and eat.)
• 我老公特别喜欢打篮球。(My husband really loves playing basketball.)

Don't Say

• 尊敬的领导，我老公今天身体不舒服 (Don't use 老公 in formal or written contexts — use 丈夫 or 先生 instead; 老公 is strictly colloquial)

Origin & History

Historically 老公 referred to eunuchs in imperial Chinese courts. In modern Mandarin it was repurposed as an affectionate colloquial word for husband, likely influenced by Cantonese usage, and is now completely divorced from its historical meaning in everyday speech.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal