老汉

• Pinyin: lǎo hàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 老 = old; 汉 = 氵(water) + 又 + 大 — man/fellow

Meaning

Old man; elderly gentleman. A colloquial term for an elderly male.

A casual, sometimes rustic term for an old man. Can be affectionate or neutral. More common in northern dialects and rural areas. Sometimes used self-deprecatingly.

Examples

1. 村里的老汉们喜欢在树下下棋。 The old men in the village like to play chess under the tree.
2. 这位老汉已经九十岁了，身体还很硬朗。 This old man is already ninety years old, but still very robust.
3. 老汉虽然年纪大了，干起活来一点不含糊。 Although the old man is getting on in years, he works as capably as ever.

Usage Guide

Context: rural, informal, storytelling

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 老汉我今年七十了。(This old man here is seventy this year.)
• 那个老汉是村长。(That old man is the village chief.)

Don't Say

• 用老汉称呼地位高的年长者。(老汉 is rustic/informal — use 老先生 for respected elders)

Origin & History

Compound of 老 (old) + 汉 (man/fellow). 汉 originally meant brave man, now a general term for man.

Cultural Context

Generation: Elderly

Social background: Universal