adj., prefix
Old person with long hair, bent back, and leaning on a cane. Aged, old, or stale; also very, long-standing, or a familiar prefix for people (老张), titles (老师), and animals (老虎).
老
adv.
always; constantly (usually with negative connotation)
Common Usage & Traps
- 老电影 — old movie / classic film
- 老朋友 — long-time friend / old friend
- 老是 — always / constantly (often negative)
- 老人 — elderly person
- 老王 — familiar address for a man surnamed Wang
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他是老他老了 / 他是老人老 can't stand alone after 是 like English 'he is old'.
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老的人老人For the standard noun 'elderly person', Chinese uses 老人. 老的人 sounds like a word-for-word translation.
Can 老 mean 'always' before a verb, or does it only mean 'old'?
Before a noun, 老 usually means old; before a verb, it means always or constantly.
老电影 is an old or classic movie. 他老迟到 means he is always late. The word after 老 tells you which meaning is active. Don't read 老迟到 as 'old late'.
“Ａ：你喜欢看老电影还是新电影？” (A: Do you like watching old movies or new movies?)
“Ａ：你喜欢看老电影还是新电影？” (A: Do you like watching old movies or new movies?)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Before a noun | 老电影, 老朋友 | 老电影 as 'always movie' |
| Before a verb | 他老迟到 | 老迟到 as 'old late' |
Can you say 他是老 to mean 'he is old'?
No. 老 can't sit alone after 是; say 他老了 or 他是老人.
English uses a bare adjective in 'he is old'. Chinese doesn't use 老 that way. Use 他老了 for 'he has gotten old'. Use 他是老人 to call him an old person.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Describing aging | 他老了 | 他是老 |
| Labeling a person | 他是老人 | 他是老 |
Does calling a coworker 老王 mean he is old?
No. 老王 is a friendly, familiar address, not a comment on age.
People put 老 before a surname for a casual or close tone. A 30-year-old Wang can be 老王. It can show friendliness or seniority, not literal old age.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 老王 (familiar address) | 老王 = old man (literal age) |
| Tone | Friendly, close | Formal, respectful |
Why is 老人 correct but 老的人 sounds awkward for 'old person'?
老人 is the standard noun; 老的人 sounds like a stiff word-for-word translation.
Chinese has a fixed word 老人 for an elderly person. 老的人 is understandable but clunky as a default term. It shows up mainly when you contrast 老的人 with 年轻的人.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standard noun | 老人 | 老的人 |
| Contrastive phrase | 老的人 and 年轻的人 | 老的人 as default |
Appears in Stories 4 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This playful HSK 1 poem twists words you already know and asks how an hour can be small. Read it aloud and laugh; a fun way to practice Chinese.
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多大不“多 老 ”。
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老师都很 老 ？
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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前天有个朋友告诉我，要想了解 老 北京的文化，应该去 老 茶馆喝一次"大碗儿茶"。
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我问一个 老 北京哪个茶馆儿最好。
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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我觉得 老 上海人喜欢说“这里”、“那里”和“哪里”，不喜欢说“……
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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😄Ａ：你喜欢看 老 电影还是新电影？
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Ｂ： 老 的新的都喜欢。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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