养老

• Pinyin: yǎng lǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 养 = 羊 (sheep) + 食 (food), meaning to raise/nourish; 老 = pictograph of an elderly person with long hair and a cane

Meaning

To provide for the elderly; retirement support. Care and financial support for aging parents or oneself in old age.

A crucial concept in Chinese society due to filial piety traditions. Common phrases: 养老金 (pension), 养老院 (nursing home), 养老保险 (pension insurance), 居家养老 (home-based elderly care). The aging population has made 养老 a major policy concern.

Examples

1. 现在很多年轻人面临着养老压力。 Many young people today face pressure to support their elderly parents.
2. 政府正在完善养老保险制度。 The government is improving the pension insurance system.
3. 他们打算退休后去海南养老。 They plan to retire and live out their old age in Hainan.

Usage Guide

Context: family, society, policy

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 养老问题越来越受关注。(The issue of elderly care is receiving more attention.)
• 每个月都在交养老保险。(I pay pension insurance every month.)

Don't Say

• 养老他 — 应说'给他养老'或'赡养他'，养老一般不直接加宾语

Origin & History

Compound of 养 (to raise, support) + 老 (old). Together meaning to care for the elderly.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal