老 Stroke Order — How to Write 老
老 is written in 6 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 老, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
老 Radical and Character Components
老 is a pictograph. A person bent over with long hair 匕 and a crutch; compare 耂.
Radical: 老 + 0 more strokes
老 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- lǎo
Meanings of 老 in Chinese
1
lǎo老
Refers to being old in age, long in duration, experienced, or outdated.
她和我是多年的老朋友了。
She and I have been old friends for many years.
A respectful term for an elderly person, often used before a surname or in compound terms like '老人家' (elderly person) or '老大爷' (grandpa).
这位老人家很和蔼可亲。
This elderly person is very kind and approachable.
Very, extremely; used to indicate a high degree of something.
他老早就把作业写完了。
He finished his homework a long time ago.
Refers to elderly people; often implies respect for them or their continued contributions.
很多社区都鼓励老年人继续学习，做到老有所为。
Many communities encourage elderly people to continue learning and to remain active and contribute.
old age; later years
他希望能在老了以后，过上平静安详的生活。
He hopes to live a peaceful and tranquil life in his old age.
To respect, care for, or provide for the elderly, reflecting the principle of 'cherishing one's own elders and extending that care to others' elders.'
社区里大家一起养老助老，共建和谐家园
In the community, everyone collectively provides for and assists the elderly, building a harmonious home together.
Always; often; habitually doing something.
他老是抱怨工作太忙。
He always complains that work is too busy.
original; old (referring to a previous state, custom, or relationship)
我们还是按老规矩办吧。
Let's still do it according to the old rules.
Opposite of 'tender' or 'young'; referring to food becoming tough, overcooked, or overripe.
这肉有点老了，嚼不动
This meat is a bit tough; I can't chew it.
Used as a prefix for rank, respectful address, or to form multi-syllable words with certain animals and plants.
老鹰在天空中盘旋。
The eagle circles in the sky.
Abbreviation for Laozi (an ancient Chinese philosopher) and his teachings.
他研究老庄思想。
He studies Lao-Zhuang philosophy.
A euphemism for 'to die', often used for elderly people, meaning 'to pass away' or 'to be gone'.
王大爷上个月老了。
Uncle Wang passed away last month.
Owner or manager of a business; boss.
我们店的老板今天会亲自来检查工作。
Our shop's boss will personally come to inspect the work today.
Common Words and Phrases with 老
1
extremely old-fashioned; antediluvian; from way back
这台收音机是老八辈子的东西了，现在恐怕没人会用了。
This radio is from ancient times; probably no one uses it anymore.
2
A type of Chinese white spirit, often distilled from sorghum or maize.
夏天，朋友们聚在一起撸串喝老白干儿，真是快活。
In summer, friends gather to barbecue and drink laobaigan, which is truly joyful.
3
The common people; civilians; ordinary folks.
公园里，老百姓们或散步，或聊天，享受着悠闲的时光。
In the park, ordinary people are either strolling or chatting, enjoying their leisurely time.
4
Boss; manager; owner of a business or shop; landlord.
这家餐厅的老板对顾客非常友好。
The boss of this restaurant is very friendly to customers.
5
A female boss, proprietress, landlady, or the wife of a boss.
这家餐厅的老板娘非常热情，总是亲自为客人推荐特色菜
The proprietress of this restaurant is very warm and always personally recommends special dishes to guests.
6
A woman who manages a brothel; a madam or procuress.
那个老鸨总是盘算着如何从客人身上榨取更多的钱。
That brothel madam always plots how to extort more money from her customers.
7
An old fogy or a stick-in-the-mud; someone who is extremely conservative or old-fashioned.
我爷爷是个老保守，他不喜欢新的科技产品，总是用旧手机。
My grandpa is an old conservative; he dislikes new technology and always uses his old phone.
8
Original capital or principal, often referring to one's last remaining significant assets; it can also metaphorically denote past achievements or seniority.
如果一个人总是吃老本，而不思进取，很快就会被淘汰
If a person always rests on their laurels and doesn't strive for progress, they will soon be eliminated.
9
A great deal; abundant; very much.
今天的超市里人老鼻子了，结账排队排了好久。
There were a lot of people in the supermarket today; I had to queue for ages to check out.
10
Lǎobiǎo is a Chinese term primarily referring to a cousin. In some dialects, particularly in Jiangxi province, it is also used intimately to refer to a fellow countryman or close friend.
我昨天和我的老表一起去爬山了，我们玩得很开心。
Yesterday, my cousin and I went hiking together, and we had a great time.
11
A veteran or old soldier, especially one who has participated in many battles or has long experience in a profession.
王师傅是糕点制作界的老兵，他对每一个烘焙步骤都精益求精。
Master Wang is a veteran in the pastry-making world; he strives for perfection in every baking step.
12
A respectful term for an elderly man, often used for someone like an uncle or father's friend.
那位老伯看起来很健康，每天都在公园里打太极拳。
That old gentleman looks very healthy, practicing Tai Chi in the park every day.
13
A respectful term for an elderly man, similar to granddad or old uncle/gentleman.
那位老伯伯每天早上都在公园里打太极拳。
That elderly gentleman practices Tai Chi in the park every morning.
14
moneybags; a rich person, often a landlord
村子里有一个老财，他喜欢收集各种古董。
There is a wealthy man in the village who enjoys collecting various antiques.
15
Lǎo Cán Yóujì (The Travels of Laocan) is a famous late Qing Dynasty novel by Liu E. It chronicles the observations and activities of a wandering doctor named Laocan, vividly exposing the dark social realities of the time.
我最近读了一本叫做《老残游记》的小说，其中对社会风俗的描写非常生动。
I recently read a novel titled 'The Travels of Laocan,' and its descriptions of social customs are very vivid.
More words with 老
- mài卖lǎo老trade on one's seniority, presume upon one's age
- shuāi衰lǎo老Aging, Senescence
- xiǎn显lǎo老to look old; to appear aged
- yuán元lǎo老senior statesman
- fù父lǎo老elders, respected elders
- qí耆lǎo老Elders, Senior citizens
- gē哥lǎo老huì会Elder Brother Society, Ko Lao Hui
- jìng敬lǎo老yuàn院nursing home, old people's home
- wáng王lǎo老wǔ五a single man or a bachelor
- bào鲍lǎo老Old Bao
- cāng苍lǎo老Aged, Worn
- shèng圣dàn诞lǎo老rén人Santa Claus
- tuí颓lǎo老Decrepit, Worn out by age
- yǎng养lǎo老Elderly care, Aged care
- yě野lǎo老old farmer; country folk
- zhōng终lǎo老live out one's life, spend one's last years
- zhuāng庄lǎo老Elder Zhuang, Mr. Zhuang
- zhuāng装lǎo老Pretend to be old, Act old
- chuí垂lǎo老approaching old age, in one's declining years
- xié偕lǎo老Live to old age together, Grow old together
Idioms with 老
- lǎo老bàng蚌shēng生zhū珠Elderly person having a talented child
- lǎo老cán蚕zuò作jiǎn茧to create one's own difficulties
- lǎo老chéng成chí持zhòng重experienced and prudent
- lǎo老chéng成lì历liàn练experienced and seasoned
- lǎo老dà大wú无chéng成grow old without achieving anything
- lǎo老dāng当yì益zhuàng壮old but vigorous
- lǎo老diào调chóng重tán弹harp on the same old tune
- lǎo老diào调chóng重tán谈Rehash old arguments or ideas
- lǎo老hǔ虎pì屁gu股a very tricky and risky situation
- lǎo老jì骥fú伏lì枥old but still ambitious
- lǎo老jiān奸jù巨huá猾extremely cunning and treacherous person
- lǎo老lái来yǒu有xǐ喜joyful event or good news in old age
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Open the tool →Questions about 老
What does 老 mean in Chinese?
老 (lǎo) means “Refers to being old in age” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 老?
老 is pronounced lǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 老 have?
老 has 6 strokes.
How do you write 老?
老 is written in 6 strokes, starting from the radical 老. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 老?
The radical of 老 is 老, and 老 is a pictograph.
