Usage of the character 老

prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity
old (of people)
venerable (person)
experienced
of long standing
always
all the time
of the past
very
outdated
(of meat etc) tough

lǎojiā

老家

[老家]

native place
place of origin
home state or region

lǎochōu

老抽

[老抽]

dark soy sauce

lǎodà

老大

[老大]

old age
very
eldest child in a family
leader of a group
boss
captain of a boat
leader of a criminal gang

lǎojiǔ

老酒

[老酒]

wine, esp. Shaoxing wine

lǎoqù

老去

[老去]

to get old

lǎokōu

老抠

[老摳]

penny-pincher; miser

lǎoliàn

老练

[老練]

seasoned; experienced

lǎotiān

老天

[老天]

God
Heavens

lǎojǐ

老几

[老幾]

where in the order of seniority among siblings?
(sometimes used in rhetorical questions to express disparagement)

lǎozhuō

老拙

[老拙]

old fart (usually in self-reference)
geezer

Yánlǎo

阎老

[閻老]

(Buddhism) Yama, the King of Hell

lǎozǎo

老早

[老早]

a long time ago

lǎoshi

老实

[老實]

honest; sincere
well-behaved
naive; gullible

lǎohuā

老花

[老花]

presbyopia

lǎojiǎn

老趼

[老趼]

callus; corns (on the feet)

zhōnglǎo

终老

[終老]

to spend one's last years

lǎogōng

老公

[老公]

(coll.) husband

gūlǎo

孤老

[孤老]

solitary old man or woman
regular patron (at brothels)

lǎoděng

老等

[老等]

to wait patiently
heron

lǎolao

老老

[老老]

maternal grandmother
same as 姥姥

lǎochéng

老城

[老城]

old town
old district of a city

xiélǎo

偕老

[偕老]

to grow old together

lǎoxiāng

老乡

[老鄉]

fellow townsman; fellow villager; sb from the same hometown

lǎoshǔ

老鼠

[老鼠]

rat; mouse (CL:隻／只 (zhī))

Lǎo Mò

老墨

[老墨]

(coll.) a Mexican

àilǎo

艾老

[艾老]

(literary) person aged over fifty
elderly person

lǎojì

老骥

[老驥]

old thoroughbred
fig. aged person with great aspirations

yílǎo

遗老

[遺老]

old fogy; adherent of previous dynasty

lǎonián

老年

[老年]

elderly
old age
autumn of one's years

lǎomào

老耄

[老耄]

dim sight of the aged
doddering
senile

lǎo'èr

老二

[老二]

second-eldest child in a family
(euphemism) penis

fúlǎo

服老

[服老]

to admit to one's advancing years
to acquiesce to old age

zhǎnglǎo

长老

[長老]

elder
term of respect for a Buddhist monk

yuánlǎo

元老

[元老]

senior figure
elder
doyen

lǎoyù

老妪

[老嫗]

old woman (formal writing)

fǎlǎo

法老

[法老]

pharaoh (loanword)

lǎozhě

老者

[老者]

old man; elderly man

lǎobà

老爸

[老爸]

father; dad

lǎofū

老夫

[老夫]

I (spoken by an old man)

lǎoyāo

老幺

[老么]

youngest

lǎomài

老迈

[老邁]

aged; senile

yǎnglǎo

养老

[養老]

to provide for the elderly (family members)
to enjoy a life in retirement

lǎobīng

老兵

[老兵]

old soldier; veteran
veteran (sb who has a lot of experience in some domain)

lǎomā

老妈

[老媽]

mother; mom

lǎopó

老婆

[老婆]

(coll.) wife

lǎohǔ

老虎

[老虎]

tiger
CL:隻／只 (zhī)

lǎoyuǎn

老远

[老遠]

very far away

lǎogē

老歌

[老歌]

oldie (song)

lǎodì

老弟

[老弟]

(affectionate form of address for a male who is not very much younger than oneself) my boy
old pal

lǎoniǎo

老鸟

[老鳥]

old hand; veteran

lǎotài

老太

[老太]

old lady

Lǎobǎn

老板

[老闆]

Robam (brand)

lǎoniáng

老娘

[老娘]

my old mother
I, this old woman
my old lady (colloquial)
maternal grandmother
midwife

lǎoye

老爷

[老爺]

(respectful) lord
master
(coll.) maternal grandfather

kuòlǎo

阔老

[闊老]

variant of 闊佬／阔佬 (kuòlǎo)

Lǎojiē

老街

[老街]

Lao Cai, Vietnam
Laokai or Laukkai, Burma (Myanmar)

jìnglǎo

敬老

[敬老]

respect for the aged

lǎotǔ

老土

[老土]

old-fashioned; unstylish

lǎoshī

老师

[老師]

teacher
CL:個／个 (gè),位 (wèi)

lǎohuà

老话

[老話]

an old saying

lǎohēi

老黑

[老黑]

(coll.) black person

lǎolì

老例

[老例]

custom; customary practice

lǎobǎo

老鸨

[老鴇]

female brothel keeper

lǎohàn

老汉

[老漢]

old man
I (an old man referring to himself)

lǎoshǒu

老手

[老手]

experienced person
an old hand at sth

lǎobèi

老辈

[老輩]

the older generation
ancestors

lǎoliǎn

老脸

[老臉]

self-respect of old person
face
thick-skinned (i.e. impervious to criticism)
brazen

kěnlǎo

啃老

[啃老]

(coll.) to live with and depend on one's parents even upon reaching adulthood

lǎogua

老鸹

[老鴰]

(dialect) crow; raven

Bālǎo

八老

[八老]

"the Eight Great Eminent Officials" of the CCP, abbr. for 八大元老 ( Bā Dà Yuánlǎo)

cānglǎo

苍老

[蒼老]

old
aged
(of calligraphy or painting) vigorous
forceful

lǎopǔ

老谱

[老譜]

old ways; old habit

shuāilǎo

衰老

[衰老]

to age
to deteriorate with age
old and weak

lǎosǒu

老叟

[老叟]

old man

lǎotāo

老饕

[老饕]

glutton

lǎofù

老父

[老父]

father
old man
venerable sir

lǎotiě

老铁

[老鐵]

(slang) very close friend; bro

lǎodiāo

老雕

[老鵰]

vulture

lǎotài

老态

[老態]

old and frail
decrepit
doddering
decrepitude
infirmities of old age

lǎolíng

老龄

[老齡]

old age
aging
aged
geriatric
the aged

Zhuāng Lǎo

庄老

[莊老]

Zhuangzi and Laozi, the Daoist masters

lǎo Měi

老美

[老美]

(coll.) an American; person from the United States

Lǎowō

老挝

[老撾]

Laos

èrlǎo

二老

[二老]

mother and father
parents

lǎolài

老赖

[老賴]

(coll.) debt dodger

lǎodiē

老爹

[老爹]

(dialect) father
old man
sir

niánlǎo

年老

[年老]

aged

lǎochéng

老成

[老成]

mature
experienced
sophisticated

chìlǎo

赤老

[赤老]

variant of 赤佬 (chìlǎo)

tuílǎo

颓老

[頹老]

old and decrepit
senile

lǎolà

老辣

[老辣]

shrewd and ruthless
efficient and unscrupulous

lǎo'ér

老儿

[老兒]

father
husband
old man

lǎodao

老到

[老到]

experienced and careful

lǎoshào

老少

[老少]

the old and the young

lǎolù

老路

[老路]

old road
familiar way
beaten track
conventional behavior

lǎozhàng

老丈

[老丈]

sir (respectful form of address for an old man)

lǎobǎn

老板

[老闆]

boss
business proprietor
CL:個／个 (gè)

lǎotóu

老头

[老頭]

old fellow
old man
father
husband

lǎojìng

老境

[老境]

advanced years
old age

lǎozi

老子

[老子]

father
daddy
"I, your father" (in anger, or out of contempt)
I (used arrogantly or jocularly)

lǎoyǒu

老友

[老友]

old friend
sb who passed the county level imperial exam (in Ming dynasty)

lǎobǎn

老板

[老板]

variant of 老闆／老板 (lǎobǎn)

lǎobàn

老伴

[老伴]

(of an elderly couple) husband or wife

lǎodàn

老旦

[老旦]

old woman role in Chinese opera

gǔlǎo

古老

[古老]

ancient
old
age-old

lǎopái

老牌

[老牌]

old, well-known brand
old style; old school
an old hand; experienced veteran

lǎowēng

老翁

[老翁]

old man

lǎoshi

老是

[老是]

always

lǎozhàng

老账

[老賬]

lit. old account
old debt
fig. old scores to settle
old quarrels
old grudge

xiǎnlǎo

显老

[顯老]

to look old

lǎoyīng

老鹰

[老鷹]

(coll.) eagle; hawk; any similar bird of prey

zūnlǎo

尊老

[尊老]

respect the aged

Lǎobiān

老边

[老邊]

Laobian district of Yingkou City 營口市／营口市, Liaoning

lǎozǒng

老总

[老總]

boss
sir (person with a leading role in an organization)
(after a surname) high ranking commander in the PLA
(Qing dynasty) high ranking government official
(old) courteous term used by the general populace in addressing a rank-and-file soldier or police officer

lǎoshēng

老生

[老生]

venerable middle-aged or elderly man, usually wearing an artificial beard (in Chinese opera)

Lǎo Dān

老聃

[老聃]

another name for Laozi 老子 ( Lǎozǐ)

Lǎozǐ

老子

[老子]

Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, the founder of Taoism
the sacred book of Daoism, 道德經／道德经 ( Dàodéjīng) by Laozi

lǎorén

老人

[老人]

old man or woman
the elderly
one's aged parents or grandparents

Lǎo Shě

老舍

[老舍]

Lao She (1899-1966), Chinese novelist and dramatist

lǎogěng

老梗

[老梗]

(Tw) unoriginal; hackneyed; (of a joke) old

lǎoshì

老视

[老視]

presbyopia

lǎogong

老公

[老公]

(coll.) eunuch
see also 老公 (lǎogōng)

lǎoqiān

老千

[老千]

swindler; cheat (in gambling)

lǎoběn

老本

[老本]

capital
assets
savings
nest egg
(fig.) reputation
laurels (to rest upon)
old edition of a book
(tree) trunk

chuílǎo

垂老

[垂老]

approaching old age

lǎosǐ

老死

[老死]

to die of old age

lǎopài

老派

[老派]

old-fashioned; old-school

fùlǎo

父老

[父老]

elders

lǎokè

老客

[老客]

peddler
old or regular customer

jiālǎo

家老

[家老]

(old) a senior in one's household

lǎobó

老伯

[老伯]

uncle (polite form of address for older male)

Lǎojūn

老君

[老君]

Laozi or Lao-tze (c. 500 BC), Chinese philosopher, founder of Taoism

lǎojiǎn

老茧

[老繭]

callus (patch or hardened skin)
corns (on feet)
also 老趼

yuèlǎo

月老

[月老]

matchmaker
go-between
same as 月下老人 (yuèxiàlǎorén)

lǎomǔ

老姥

[老姥]

old lady
(old woman's self-reference) I, me

lǎocū

老粗

[老粗]

uneducated person
yokel
boor
roughneck

lǎoxiǎo

老小

[老小]

the old and the young
the youngest member of the family

lǎoshì

老式

[老式]

old-fashioned
old type
outdated

lǎowài

老外

[老外]

(coll.) foreigner (esp. non Asian person)
layman
amateur

lǎojiàng

老将

[老將]

lit. old general
commander-in-chief 將帥／将帅, the equivalent of king in Chinese chess
fig. old-timer
veteran

biànlǎo

变老

[變老]

to grow old
to age
aging

lǎoxiōng

老兄

[老兄]

elder brother (often used self-referentially)
(form of address between male friends) old chap
buddy

lǎohuà

老化

[老化]

(of a person, population or material) to age
(of knowledge) to become outdated

lǎotào

老套

[老套]

hackneyed
well-worn (phrase etc)
same old story
stereotypical fashion

lǎojiù

老旧

[老舊]

outmoded
old-fashioned

Lǎo Zhuāng

老庄

[老莊]

Laozi and Zhuangzi (or Lao-tze and Chuang-tze), the founders of Daoism

yǎnglǎojīn

养老金

[養老金]

pension

lǎodàmā

老大妈

[老大媽]

"Madam" (affectionate term for an elderly woman)
CL:位 (wèi)

lǎobùsǐ

老不死

[老不死]

(derog.) old but still alive
old fart
old bastard

chūlǎoqiān

出老千

[出老千]

to cheat (in gambling)

lǎohuàméi

老化酶

[老化酶]

aged enzyme

lǎopéngyou

老朋友

[老朋友]

old friend
(slang) period
menstruation

tiānlǎoye

天老爷

[天老爺]

see 老天爺／老天爷 (lǎotiānyé)

chuánlǎodà

船老大

[船老大]

coxswain
steersman
boatswain (bo'sun)

lǎotóur

老头儿

[老頭兒]

see 老頭子／老头子 (lǎotóuzi)

lǎobǎixìng

老百姓

[老百姓]

ordinary people
the "person in the street"
CL:個／个 (gè)

lǎotóuzi

老头子

[老頭子]

(coll.) old man
(said of an aging husband) my old man

lǎohuāyǎn

老花眼

[老花眼]

presbyopia

Táng Lǎoyā

唐老鸭

[唐老鴨]

Donald Duck

lǎogǔtou

老骨头

[老骨頭]

weary old body (colloquial term, used jocularly or irreverently)

lǎobǎnniáng

老板娘

[老闆娘]

female proprietor
lady boss
boss's wife

lǎohúli

老狐狸

[老狐狸]

old fox
fig. cunning person

shuǐlǎoyā

水老鸦

[水老鴉]

common name for cormorant

lǎodōngxi

老东西

[老東西]

(derog.) old fool
old bastard

lǎohuánglì

老皇历

[老皇曆]

(lit.) past years' almanac
(fig.) ancient history; obsolete practice; old-fashioned principle

jìnglǎoyuàn

敬老院

[敬老院]

home of respect for aged
nursing home

tiānlǎor

天老儿

[天老兒]

albino (human)

lǎotàozi

老套子

[老套子]

old methods
old habits

lǎolàròu

老腊肉

[老臘肉]

(coll.) experienced and usually well-positioned middle-aged man

xiǎolǎopó

小老婆

[小老婆]

concubine
mistress
(dialect) woman

lǎofùrén

老妇人

[老婦人]

old lady

lǎojiāzéi

老家贼

[老家賊]

(dialect) sparrow

lǎoniánqī

老年期

[老年期]

old age

Lǎoyelǐng

老爷岭

[老爺嶺]

Chinese name for Sichote-Alin mountain range in Russia's Primorsky Krai around Vladivostok

lǎobóbo

老伯伯

[老伯伯]

grandpa (polite form of address for old man)

lǎodìfāng

老地方

[老地方]

same place as before
usual place
stomping ground

Lǎochéngqū

老城区

[老城區]

Laocheng district of Luoyang City 洛陽市／洛阳市 ( Luòyángshì), Henan

lǎohútu

老糊涂

[老糊塗]

dotard

pàlǎopó

怕老婆

[怕老婆]

henpecked
to be under one's wife's thumb

dàlǎoyuǎn

大老远

[大老遠]

very far away

Lǎobiānqū

老边区

[老邊區]

Laobian district of Yingkou City 營口市／营口市, Liaoning

lǎozhàngren

老丈人

[老丈人]

(coll.) father-in-law (wife's father)

lǎobànr

老伴儿

[老伴兒]

erhua variant of 老伴 (lǎobàn)

lǎosījī

老司机

[老司機]

(coll.) an old hand at sth

lǎoniánrén

老年人

[老年人]

old people; the elderly

lǎozìhào

老字号

[老字號]

shop, firm, or brand of merchandise with a long-established reputation

fānlǎozhàng

翻老账

[翻老賬]

to turn over old accounts
fig. to revive old quarrels
to reopen old wounds

guānlǎoye

官老爷

[官老爺]

nickname for official

lǎomāzi

老妈子

[老媽子]

older female servant; amah

lǎoyùmi

老玉米

[老玉米]

(dialect) corn

lǎohǎorén

老好人

[老好人]

one who tries never to offend anybody

lǎorénjiā

老人家

[老人家]

polite term for old woman or man

lǎoláishào

老来少

[老來少]

old but young at heart

lǎozheliǎn

老着脸

[老著臉]

shamelessly

lǎoyānguǐ

老烟鬼

[老煙鬼]

heavy smoker
chain smoker

lǎojiāhuo

老家伙

[老家伙]

(coll.) old fellow
old codger

Gēlǎohuì

哥老会

[哥老會]

late-Qing underground resistance movement against the Qing dynasty

lǎonǎinai

老奶奶

[老奶奶]

(coll.) father's father's mother
paternal great-grandmother
respectful form of address for an old woman

Lǎowūqià

老乌恰

[老烏恰]

same as 烏魯克恰提／乌鲁克恰提 in Xinjiang

lǎodàgē

老大哥

[老大哥]

big brother

mǔlǎohǔ

母老虎

[母老虎]

tigress
(fig.) fierce woman
vixen

lǎoyānqiāng

老烟枪

[老煙槍]

heavy smoker
chain smoker
life-long smoker

lǎoshíshuō

老实说

[老實說]

honestly speaking; to be frank, ...

lǎoyechē

老爷车

[老爺車]

classic car

lǎoyóutiáo

老油条

[老油條]

old fox; slick customer

lǎotàipó

老太婆

[老太婆]

old woman (at times contemptuous)

yuánlǎoyuàn

元老院

[元老院]

upper house
senate
senior statesmen's assembly

xiǎolǎoshǔ

小老鼠

[小老鼠]

@
at symbol

lǎoshìyǎn

老视眼

[老視眼]

presbyopia

lǎoyóuzi

老油子

[老油子]

(coll.) wily old fox
crafty fellow

qiūlǎohǔ

秋老虎

[秋老虎]

hot spell during autumn
Indian summer

lǎozīgé

老资格

[老資格]

veteran

lǎosānsè

老三色

[老三色]

the three plain colors used for clothing in the PRC in the 1960s: black, gray and blue

lǎodiàoyá

老掉牙

[老掉牙]

very old
obsolete
out of date

hùlǎozhě

护老者

[護老者]

carer of elderly persons
aged care worker

lǎokuàngkuàng

老框框

[老框框]

rigid conventions
reactionary framework

lǎohǔdèng

老虎凳

[老虎凳]

tiger bench (torture method in which the victim sits with legs extended horizontally along a bench, upper legs held down with straps while bricks are inserted under the feet, forcing the knee joint to bend in reverse)

lǎomáozi

老毛子

[老毛子]

Westerner (esp. a Russian) (derog.)

lǎomàor

老帽儿

[老帽兒]

(dialect) country bumpkin
a hick

lǎotàigōng

老太公

[老太公]

aged gentleman (dialect, respectful term)

lǎohǔzào

老虎灶

[老虎灶]

old-style large kitchen stove

lǎotóulè

老头乐

[老頭樂]

backscratcher (made from bamboo etc)
(may also refer to other products that are of benefit to old people, such as padded cloth shoes, mobility tricycle etc)

kěnlǎozú

啃老族

[啃老族]

(coll.) adults still living with and depending on their parents

Mǐ Lǎoshǔ

米老鼠

[米老鼠]

Mickey Mouse

yǎnglǎoyuàn

养老院

[養老院]

nursing home

jìnglǎoxí

敬老席

[敬老席]

priority seating for the aged (on buses etc)

lǎoyézi

老爷子

[老爺子]

my (your etc) old father
polite appellation for an elderly male

Zhǎnglǎohuì

长老会

[長老會]

Presbyterianism

tuōlǎosuǒ

托老所

[托老所]

senior center

lǎoxìgǔ

老戏骨

[老戲骨]

(dialect) veteran actor
old trouper

lǎolínghuà

老龄化

[老齡化]

aging (population)

suànlǎojǐ

算老几

[算老幾]

just who do (you) think (you) are? (or "just who does (she) think (she) is?" etc)

lǎorényuàn

老人院

[老人院]

nursing home
old people's home

lǎoyéye

老爷爷

[老爺爺]

(coll.) father's father's father
paternal great-grandfather

zhōnglǎonián

中老年

[中老年]

middle and old age

lǎohǔcài

老虎菜

[老虎菜]

tiger salad, a northeast China dish usually consisting of hot pepper, cucumber, cilantro and leek

lǎobàntiān

老半天

[老半天]

(coll.) a long time

lǎotàiyé

老太爷

[老太爺]

elderly gentleman (respectful)
esteemed father

lǎoliǎngkǒu

老两口

[老兩口]

old married couple

lǎosānpiān

老三篇

[老三篇]

Lao San Pian, three short essays written by Mao Zedong before the PRC was established

zǎolǎosù

早老素

[早老素]

presenilins

lǎogǔbǎn

老古板

[老古板]

overly conservative
old-fashioned
old fogey
a square

lǎodàniáng

老大娘

[老大娘]

old lady
Madam (polite address)
CL:位 (wèi)

lǎomáobìng

老毛病

[老毛病]

chronic illness
old weakness
chronic problem

lǎoshǔdòng

老鼠洞

[老鼠洞]

mouse hole

lǎoyībèi

老一辈

[老一輩]

previous generation
older generation

tǔlǎomào

土老帽

[土老帽]

hillbilly
yokel
redneck
bumpkin

Wánglǎojí

王老吉

[王老吉]

Wanglaoji (beverage brand)

zhǐlǎohǔ

纸老虎

[紙老虎]

paper tiger

dàlǎopó

大老婆

[大老婆]

primary wife

lǎoláiqiào

老来俏

[老來俏]

old person who dresses up as teenager
mutton dressed as lamb

chòulǎojiǔ

臭老九

[臭老九]

stinking intellectual (contemptuous term for educated people during the Cultural Revolution)

Lǎohékǒu

老河口

[老河口]

Laohekou, county-level city in Xiangfan 襄樊 ( Xiāngfán), Hubei

lǎodàyé

老大爷

[老大爺]

uncle
grandpa
CL:位 (wèi)

lǎojiāhuo

老家伙

[老傢伙]

variant of 老家伙 (lǎojiāhuo)

wánglǎowǔ

王老五

[王老五]

bachelor (lit. fifth child of the Wangs)

lǎobízi

老鼻子

[老鼻子]

many

lǎogōnggong

老公公

[老公公]

old man
husband's father
father-in-law
court eunuch

lǎojiānghú

老江湖

[老江湖]

a much-travelled person, well acquainted with the ways of the world

lǎochéngqū

老城区

[老城區]

old city district
historical center

lǎohǔqián

老虎钳

[老虎鉗]

vise
pincer pliers

lǎotiānyé

老天爷

[老天爺]

God
Heavens

dàlǎocū

大老粗

[大老粗]

uncouth fellow
rustic

lǎoyàngzi

老样子

[老樣子]

old situation
things as they were

lǎohuājìng

老花镜

[老花鏡]

presbyopic glasses

lǎokèr

老客儿

[老客兒]

erhua variant of 老客 (lǎokè)

lǎoyītào

老一套

[老一套]

the same old stuff

lǎohǔjī

老虎机

[老虎機]

slot machine

lǎochǔnü

老处女

[老處女]

unmarried old woman
spinster

huílǎojiā

回老家

[回老家]

to go back to one's roots
to return to one's native place
by ext. to join one's ancestors (i.e. to die)

Bǎilǎohuì

百老汇

[百老匯]

Broadway (New York City)

Lǎofóyé

老佛爷

[老佛爺]

title of respect for the queen mother or the emperor's father
nickname for Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后 ( Cíxǐtàihòu)

gǔlǎoròu

古老肉

[古老肉]

sweet and sour pork
also written 咕嚕肉／咕噜肉 (gūlūròu)

lǎotàitai

老太太

[老太太]

elderly lady (respectful)
esteemed mother
CL:位 (wèi)

tonylǎoshī

Tony老师

[Tony老師]

(slang) hairdresser

lǎobàngshēngzhū

老蚌生珠

[老蚌生珠]

lit. an old oyster producing a pearl (idiom)
fig. birthing a son at an advanced age

bōlánlǎochéng

波澜老成

[波瀾老成]

splendid and powerful (of story)
majestic
awesome

lǎomǎsīfēng

老马嘶风

[老馬嘶風]

old horse sniffs the wind (idiom); fig. aged person with great aspirations

lǎojìfúlì

老骥伏枥

[老驥伏櫪]

lit. an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 miles (idiom); fig. aged person with great aspirations

bǎisuìlǎorén

百岁老人

[百歲老人]

centenarian

Shèngdàn Lǎorén

圣诞老人

[聖誕老人]

Father Christmas; Santa Claus

niánlǎotǐruò

年老体弱

[年老體弱]

old and weak (idiom)

lǎodāngyìzhuàng

老当益壮

[老當益壯]

old but vigorous (idiom); hale and hearty despite the years

lǎoshàoxiányí

老少咸宜

[老少咸宜]

suitable for young and old

bǎoyǐlǎoquán

饱以老拳

[飽以老拳]

to thump repeatedly with one's fist

lǎotàilóngzhōng

老态龙钟

[老態龍鍾]

doddering; senile

qīxúnlǎorén

七旬老人

[七旬老人]

septuagenarian

bànlǎo Xúniáng

半老徐娘

[半老徐娘]

middle-aged but still attractive woman
lady of a certain age

bǎodāobùlǎo

宝刀不老

[寶刀不老]

lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom)
fig. (of one's skills etc) to be as good as ever
the old man still has it

lǎojiānjùhuá

老奸巨猾

[老奸巨猾]

cunning
crafty
wily old fox

lǎodàbùxiǎo

老大不小

[老大不小]

no longer a child (idiom)

lǎomǎliànzhàn

老马恋栈

[老馬戀棧]

lit. the old horse loves his stable
fig. sb old but reluctant to relinquish their post (idiom)

zhōnglǎoniánrén

中老年人

[中老年人]

middle-aged and elderly people

lóngtóulǎodà

龙头老大

[龍頭老大]

big boss
leader of a group
dominant (position)

fǎnlǎohuántóng

返老还童

[返老還童]

to recover one's youthful vigor
to feel rejuvenated (idiom)

lǎochéngchízhòng

老成持重

[老成持重]

old and wise
experienced and knowledgeable

Miánlánlǎo Dǎo

棉兰老岛

[棉蘭老島]

Mindanao (island in the Philippines)

gǒudǎilǎoshǔ

狗逮老鼠

[狗逮老鼠]

lit. a dog who catches mice (idiom)
fig. to be meddlesome

lǎoshǔwěiba

老鼠尾巴

[老鼠尾巴]

lit. rat's tail; fig. a follower of inferior stature

Lǎo Cán Yóujì

老残游记

[老殘遊記]

The Travels of Lao Tsan, novel by late Qing novelist Liu E 劉鶚／刘鹗 ( Liú E)

Bā Dà Yuánlǎo

八大元老

[八大元老]

"the Eight Great Eminent Officials" of the CCP, namely 鄧小平／邓小平 ( Dèng Xiǎopíng), 陳雲／陈云 ( Chén Yún), 李先念 ( Lǐ Xiānniàn), 彭真 ( Péng Zhēn), 楊尚昆／杨尚昆 ( Yáng Shàngkūn), 薄一波 ( Bó Yībō), 王震 ( Wáng Zhèn), and 宋任窮／宋任穷 ( Sòng Rènqióng)
abbr. to 八老 ( Bālǎo)

nánnülǎoshào

男女老少

[男女老少]

men, women, young and old; all kinds of people; people of all ages

dàtǐlǎoshī

大体老师

[大體老師]

cadaver for dissection in training medical students

jiǔxúnlǎorén

九旬老人

[九旬老人]

nonagenarian

lǎoshēngchángtán

老生常谈

[老生常談]

an old observation (idiom)
a truism
banal comments

lǎojìsīfēng

老骥嘶风

[老驥嘶風]

old steed sniffs the wind (idiom); fig. aged person with great aspirations

chángshēngbùlǎo

长生不老

[長生不老]

immortality

lǎoyúshìgù

老于世故

[老於世故]

experienced in the ways of the world (idiom); worldly-wise
sophisticated

jìnglǎozūnxián

敬老尊贤

[敬老尊賢]

to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom); to honor the great and the good

guòjiēlǎoshǔ

过街老鼠

[過街老鼠]

sb or sth detested by all
target of scorn
anathema
cf. 老鼠過街，人人喊打／老鼠过街，人人喊打 (lǎoshǔguòjiē,rénrénhǎndǎ)

lǎoqìhéngqiū

老气横秋

[老氣橫秋]

old and decrepit
proud of one's age and experience (idiom)

lǎomóushēnsuàn

老谋深算

[老謀深算]

rigorous schemes and deep foresight (idiom); astute and circumspect

huángěilǎoshī

还给老师

[還給老師]

to forget (everything one has learned)

yǎng'érfánglǎo

养儿防老

[養兒防老]

(of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age

wèilǎoxiānshuāi

未老先衰

[未老先衰]

to age prematurely

qīlǎobāshí

七老八十

[七老八十]

in one's seventies (age)
very old (of people)

lǎoliǎngkǒur

老两口儿

[老兩口兒]

an old married couple

Tuōnílǎoshī

托尼老师

[托尼老師]

(neologism) (slang) barber; hairdresser

báitóudàolǎo

白头到老

[白頭到老]

(to live together until the) white hairs of old age (idiom); to live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss
until death do us part

lǎoniúshìdú

老牛舐犊

[老牛舐犢]

lit. an old ox licking its calf (idiom)
fig. (of parents) to dote on one's children

rénlǎozhūhuáng

人老珠黄

[人老珠黃]

(of a woman) old and faded

mùnèlǎorén

木讷老人

[木訥老人]

ungraduated ruler
straight edge

lǎoshénzàizài

老神在在

[老神在在]

calm; unperturbed (from Taiwanese, Tai-lo pr. (lāu-sîn-tsāi-tsāi))

lǎojiānjùhuá

老奸巨滑

[老奸巨滑]

variant of 老奸巨猾 (lǎojiānjùhuá)

shuōlǎoshihuà

说老实话

[說老實話]

to be honest
to tell the truth
to be frank

lǎomǎshítú

老马识途

[老馬識途]

an old horse knows the way (idiom); an experienced worker knows what to do
an old hand knows the ropes

lǎoxiūchéngnù

老羞成怒

[老羞成怒]

see 惱羞成怒／恼羞成怒 (nǎoxiūchéngnù)

Xúniángbànlǎo

徐娘半老

[徐娘半老]

middle-aged but still attractive woman
lady of a certain age

lǎoniánchīdāi

老年痴呆

[老年痴獃]

senile dementia
Alzheimer's disease

yǎnglǎosòngzhōng

养老送终

[養老送終]

to look after one's aged parents and arrange proper burial after they die

Mǐqí Lǎoshǔ

米奇老鼠

[米奇老鼠]

Mickey Mouse

shítúlǎomǎ

识途老马

[識途老馬]

lit. an old horse knows the way home (idiom); fig. in difficulty, trust an experience colleague

yǎnglǎobǎoxiǎn

养老保险

[養老保險]

old-age insurance

tiānhuāngdìlǎo

天荒地老

[天荒地老]

(idiom) until the end of time

lǎoyǎnhūnhuā

老眼昏花

[老眼昏花]

blurred vision of an old person (idiom)

báitóuxiélǎo

白头偕老

[白頭偕老]

(to live together until the) white hairs of old age (idiom); to live to a ripe old age in conjugal bliss
until death do us part

fúlǎoxiéyòu

扶老携幼

[扶老攜幼]

taking everyone along, young and old
to look after the elderly and the young

lǎoshibājiāo

老实巴交

[老實巴交]

(coll.) docile
well-behaved
biddable

lǎoshàowúqī

老少无欺

[老少無欺]

cheating neither old nor young
treating youngsters and old folk equally scrupulously
Our house offers sincere treatment to all and fair trade to old and young alike.

lǎodiàochóngtán

老调重弹

[老調重彈]

to play the same old tune (idiom); unoriginal

Lǎohǔ Wǔzī

老虎伍兹

[老虎伍茲]

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (1975-), American golfer

Lǎohékǒushì

老河口市

[老河口市]

Laohekou, county-level city in Xiangfan 襄樊 ( Xiāngfán), Hubei

māokūlǎoshǔ

猫哭老鼠

[貓哭老鼠]

the cat weeps for the dead mouse (idiom); hypocritical pretence of condolence
crocodile tears

lǎoniúpòchē

老牛破车

[老牛破車]

lit. old ox pulling a shabby cart (idiom)
fig. slow and inefficient

zūnlǎo'àiyòu

尊老爱幼

[尊老愛幼]

respect the old and cherish the young

lǎoxiǎolǎoxiǎo

老小老小

[老小老小]

(coll.) as one ages, one becomes more and more like a child

kōngxīnlǎodà

空心老大

[空心老大]

pretentious and vacuous person

dìlǎotiānhuāng

地老天荒

[地老天荒]

see 天荒地老 (tiānhuāngdìlǎo)

yuèxiàlǎorén

月下老人

[月下老人]

minor divinity concerned with marriage
matchmaker
go-between

bǎodāowèilǎo

宝刀未老

[寶刀未老]

treasure knife does not age (idiom); old but still vigorous

lǎoshàojiēyí

老少皆宜

[老少皆宜]

suitable for both the young and the old

Lǎoyīng Xīngyún

老鹰星云

[老鷹星雲]

Eagle Nebula, aka Star Queen Nebula, M16

fānlǎohuánglì

翻老皇历

[翻老皇曆]

to look to the past for guidance (idiom)

nánnülǎoyòu

男女老幼

[男女老幼]

men, women, young and old
everybody

shēnglǎobìngsǐ

生老病死

[生老病死]

lit. to be born, to grow old, to get sick and to die (idiom)
fig. the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality)

shàoniánlǎochéng

少年老成

[少年老成]

accomplished though young
lacking youthful vigor

niánlǎolìshuāi

年老力衰

[年老力衰]

old and weak (idiom)

gébì Lǎo Wáng

隔壁老王

[隔壁老王]

Mr Wang from next door (term used jocularly to refer to a neighbor who is supposedly sleeping with one's wife)

cāngyinglǎohǔ

苍蝇老虎

[蒼蠅老虎]

(coll.) jumping spider (which pounces on houseflies, hence the Chinese name)

chījiǎozilǎohǔ

吃角子老虎

[吃角子老虎]

slot machine

lǎoniánchīdāizhèng

老年痴呆症

[老年痴獃症]

senile dementia
Alzheimer's disease

bànzhūchīlǎohǔ

扮猪吃老虎

[扮豬吃老虎]

to play the wolf in sheep's clothing; to disguise oneself as sth harmless in order to lull one's target into letting their guard down

lǎoniúlāpòchē

老牛拉破车

[老牛拉破車]

see 老牛破車／老牛破车 (lǎoniúpòchē)

zuànshíwánglǎowǔ

钻石王老五

[鑽石王老五]

highly eligible bachelor
desirable male partner

zǎolǎoxìngchīdāi

早老性痴呆

[早老性痴呆]

(coll.) Alzheimer's disease

lǎoniúchīnèncǎo

老牛吃嫩草

[老牛吃嫩草]

lit. an old cow eats young grass (idiom)
fig. a May-December relationship
a romance where the man is significantly older than the woman

jiāngshìlǎodelà

姜是老的辣

[薑是老的辣]

see 薑還是老的辣／姜还是老的辣 (jiāngháishìlǎodelà)

kōngxīndàlǎoguān

空心大老官

[空心大老官]

fake important personage
sham

lǎodàtúshāngbēi

老大徒伤悲

[老大徒傷悲]

vain regrets of old age (idiom)

qīngtiāndàlǎoye

青天大老爷

[青天大老爺]

(coll.) just and incorruptible official

pǔtōnglǎobǎixìng

普通老百姓

[普通老百姓]

common people
average people
hoi polloi

yǐlǎodàzìjū

以老大自居

[以老大自居]

regarding oneself as number one in terms of leadership, seniority or status

yǎnglǎojīnshuāngguǐzhì

养老金双轨制

[養老金雙軌制]

dual pension scheme (PRC)

lǎoniánxìngchīdāizhèng

老年性痴呆症

[老年性痴獃症]

senile dementia

Lǎoshān Zìxíngchēguǎn

老山自行车馆

[老山自行車館]

Laoshan Velodrome, a Beijing 2008 Olympics venue

jiāngháishìlǎodelà

姜还是老的辣

[薑還是老的辣]

ginger gets spicier as it gets older (idiom)
the older, the wiser

shàngyǒulǎoxiàyǒuxiǎo

上有老下有小

[上有老下有小]

lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
sandwich generation

wúyánjiàn Jiāngdōngfùlǎo

无颜见江东父老

[無顏見江東父老]

(idiom) to be unable to return to one's hometown due to the shame of failure (originally referred to Xiang Yu 項羽／项羽 ( Xiàng Yǔ), who chose not to retreat to Jiangdong after his humiliating defeat)

lǎopóháizirèkàngtou

老婆孩子热炕头

[老婆孩子熱炕頭]

wife, kids and a warm bed (idiom)
the simple and good life

huódàolǎo,xuédàolǎo

活到老，学到老

[活到老，學到老]

One is never too old to learn. (idiom)

shàoniánfūqīlǎoláibàn

少年夫妻老来伴

[少年夫妻老來伴]

husband and wife in youth, companions in old age

lǎoshǔguòjiē,rénrénhǎndǎ

老鼠过街，人人喊打

[老鼠過街，人人喊打]

lit. when a rat crosses the street, people chase it down (idiom)
fig. everyone detests a lowlife

lǎojìfúlì,zhìzàiqiānlǐ

老骥伏枥，志在千里

[老驥伏櫪，志在千里]

lit. an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 miles (idiom); fig. old people may still cherish high aspirations

lǎotiānyé'èbùsǐxiājiāquè

老天爷饿不死瞎家雀

[老天爺餓不死瞎家雀]

lit. heaven won't let the sparrows go hungry (idiom)
fig. don't give up hope
if you tough it out, there will be light at the end of the tunnel

lǎowúlǎo,yǐjírénzhīlǎo

老吾老，以及人之老

[老吾老，以及人之老]

to honor old people as we do our own aged parents

lǎoshǔlāguī,wúcóngxiàshǒu

老鼠拉龟，无从下手

[老鼠拉龜，無從下手]

like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip (idiom)
no clue where to start

Lǎo Wángmàiguā,zìmàizìkuā

老王卖瓜，自卖自夸

[老王賣瓜，自賣自誇]

every potter praises his own pot (idiom)
all one's geese are swans

yīlìlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu

一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥

[一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥]

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)
fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch

yīkēlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōtāng

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤

[一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋湯]

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch

yīkēlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅粥

[一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥]

see 一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥／一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥 (yīlìlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu)

shàozhuàngbùnǔlì,lǎodàtúshāngbēi

少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲

[少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲]

if you are lazy in your prime, you'll be sorry in your old age

bùtīnglǎorényán,chīkuīzàiyǎnqián

不听老人言，吃亏在眼前

[不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前]

(idiom) ignore your elders at your peril

lǎoshǔtuōmùxiān,dàtóuzàihòutou

老鼠拖木锨，大头在后头

[老鼠拖木鍁，大頭在後頭]

when the mice drag a shovel, the biggest thing comes second
the tip of the iceberg
the cockroach principle

shānzhōngwúlǎohǔ,hóuzichēngdàwáng

山中无老虎，猴子称大王

[山中無老虎，猴子稱大王]

in the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king (idiom)
(depending on the source, the last word is either 大王 (dàwáng) or 大王 (dàiwang))

lǎoziyīngxióng'érhǎohàn,lǎozifǎndòng'érhúndàn

老子英雄儿好汉，老子反动儿混蛋

[老子英雄兒好漢，老子反動兒混蛋]

If the father is a hero, the son is a real man. If the father is a reactionary, the son is a bastard. (Cultural Revolution slogan)
fig. like father, like son

bùguǎnbáimāohēimāo,zhuōzhùlǎoshǔjiùshìhǎomāo

不管白猫黑猫，捉住老鼠就是好猫

[不管白貓黑貓，捉住老鼠就是好貓]

it doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black; as long as it catches mice it's a good cat (variant of a Sichuanese saying used in a speech by Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平／邓小平 ( Dèng Xiǎopíng) in 1962, usually associated with his economic reforms starting in 1978, in which pragmatism was favored over ideological purity)

lǎowúlǎo,yǐjírénzhīlǎo,yòuwúyòu,yǐjírénzhīyòu

老吾老，以及人之老，幼吾幼，以及人之幼

[老吾老，以及人之老，幼吾幼，以及人之幼]

to honor old people as we do our own aged parents, and care for other's children as one's own