老百姓

• 拼音: lǎo bǎi xìng
• 汉字拆解: 老 = 耂 (old) + 匕 (change), signifying age; 百 = one hundred; 姓 = 女 (woman) + 生 (born), meaning surname or family name

含义

Ordinary people; common folk; civilians. A collective term for everyday citizens as opposed to officials or the elite.

A warm, slightly colloquial way to refer to ordinary members of the public. Often used in news, political speech, and daily conversation to distinguish regular citizens from government officials or wealthy elites. Carries no negative connotation — it simply means regular people. 百姓 alone is more formal.

例句

1. 这个政策对老百姓的生活有很大帮助。
2. 老百姓最关心的是房子和孩子的教育。
3. 物价上涨让老百姓的压力越来越大。

用法指南

语境: news, politics, daily life

语气: sympathetic

正确说法

• 老百姓都希望生活越来越好。(Ordinary people all hope for a better and better life.)
• 这件事对老百姓来说很重要。(This matter is very important to ordinary people.)

错误说法

• 你就是一个老百姓！(Don't use 老百姓 as an insult to belittle someone — it is a neutral collective term, not a put-down.)

起源与历史

百姓 originally referred to the hundred noble clans in ancient China. Over time, it shifted to mean the common people. Adding 老 (old/familiar) makes it warmer and more colloquial.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal