高龄

• Pinyin: gāo líng
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 = 高 (tall/high); 龄 = 齿 + 令 (teeth + order — age measured by teeth/years)

Meaning

Advanced age; old age; a very senior age. As an adjective, describes something or someone associated with being very old.

Used respectfully for elderly people (高龄老人) or medically for older parents (高龄产妇 — older mothers). In legal and administrative contexts, 高龄 may specify a defined age threshold. Generally carries a respectful or clinical rather than negative tone.

Examples

1. 这位高龄院士依然坚持每天到实验室工作，其治学精神令人敬佩。 This elderly academician still insists on going to the lab every day, and his scholarly dedication is deeply admirable.
2. 随着高龄产妇比例不断攀升，围产期医疗保健的质量显得尤为重要。 As the proportion of older mothers continues to rise, the quality of perinatal healthcare becomes especially important.
3. 社区为辖区内的高龄独居老人建立了定期探访制度，确保他们的安全与健康。 The community has set up regular home visits for elderly seniors living alone in the area to ensure their safety and health.

Usage Guide

Context: healthcare, social services, demographics, respect

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 政府出台了一系列政策，为高龄老人提供医疗补贴和居家养老服务，切实减轻了其家庭的经济负担。(The government introduced a series of policies to provide medical subsidies and home care services for elderly people, genuinely reducing the financial burden on their families.)
• 高龄并不是学习新技能的障碍，许多七八十岁的老人照样能够熟练使用智能手机。(Advanced age is no barrier to learning new skills; many people in their seventies and eighties are just as capable of using smartphones proficiently.)

Don't Say

• 她高龄了，所以什么都不会 — equating 高龄 with incompetence is both ageist and factually unsupported; avoid such generalisations

Origin & History

高 (high/tall) + 龄 (age/years of life)

Cultural Context

Generation: Elderly

Social background: Universal