老

• 拼音: lǎo
• 汉字拆解: 老 = pictograph of an old person with long hair leaning on a stick — old, elderly

含义

Old; elderly; always. Describes age or a habitual tendency.

Multiple uses: (1) old in age, opposite of 年轻 (young); (2) prefix in titles showing respect or familiarity (老师 teacher, 老王 Old Wang); (3) colloquially means 'always' or 'constantly' (他老迟到 = he's always late).

例句

1. 我爷爷很老了。
2. 这个房子很老。
3. 他老忘记带钥匙。

用法指南

语境: age, description, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 老王是我的好朋友。(Old Wang is my good friend.)
• 他老迟到。(He's always late.)

错误说法

• 你很老。(Calling someone old directly is rude — use gentler terms like 年纪大 or avoid mentioning age)

起源与历史

An ancient character depicting an old person with long hair and a walking stick. One of the oldest Chinese characters, found in oracle bone inscriptions.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal