老之将至 — “One is getting on in years”
老之将至 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “one is getting on in years”. Old age is approaching, often used to describe oneself as getting old. Literally, “Old age is approaching”.
老之将至 Pronunciation and Pinyin
老之将至 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 老之将至
Origin and Story of 老之将至
During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius traveled with his disciples to various states to impart his teachings. When they arrived in Ye, in the State of Chu, Duke Ye (Shen Zhuliang) received him. Unfamiliar with Confucius, Duke Ye subtly questioned Zilu about his master. Zilu, unsure how to answer, was momentarily stumped.
Later, when Confucius learned of this, he instructed Zilu, saying: 'Tell him that I am a person who, in his pursuit of knowledge, forgets to eat; in his joy, forgets his worries, and is unaware that old age is approaching.'
Idioms Related to 老之将至
More idioms starting with 老
- lǎo老bù不xiǎo晓shì事old and muddled
- lǎo老yú于shì世gù故worldly-wise and experienced
- lǎo老sēng僧rù入dìng定deeply absorbed and still
- lǎo老bā八bèi辈zi子extremely old-fashioned
- lǎo老yī医shǎo少bo卜Each has their own strengths
- lǎo老gǔ古bǎn板an old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud
- lǎo老gǔ古dǒng董old-fashioned person or thing
- lǎo老wú吾lǎo老yǐ以jí及rén人zhī之lǎo老Respect all elders as your own
- lǎo老dà大tú徒shāng伤Regret wasted youth in old age
- lǎo老dà大tú徒shāng伤bēi悲lament wasted youth in old age
- lǎo老dà大wú无chéng成grow old without achieving anything
- lǎo老tiān天bá拔dì地old person's stiff, slow, clumsy movements
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Open the tool →Questions about 老之将至
What does 老之将至 mean?
老之将至 (lǎo zhī jiāng zhì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “one is getting on in years”.
How do you pronounce 老之将至?
老之将至 is pronounced lǎo zhī jiāng zhì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 老之将至 literally mean?
Literally, 老之将至 means “Old age is approaching”. It is used to mean “one is getting on in years”.
Where does 老之将至 come from?
老之将至 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 老之将至?
多用作自称衰老之语。