Chinese Conversation · Level 49
90 words
Chinese word
老板
Pronunciation
Pinyinlǎo bǎn
Meaning
- nounowner
Example
老板在店里，你可以随便看。láo bǎn zài diàn lǐ nǐ ké yǐ suí biàn kàn
The owner is in the store, so you can look around.
More examples
我今天需要向老板请假。wǒ jīn tiān xū yào xiàng láo bǎn qǐng jià
Today I need to ask the owner for time off.
Core concept
The person at the center of a business, with the power to make its main decisions and oversee its daily work.
Common phrases
向老板请假xiàng láo bǎn qǐng jià
ask the owner for time off
找老板商量zhǎo láo bǎn shāng liáng
discuss it with the owner
和老板谈生意hé láo bǎn tán shēng yì
discuss business with the owner
Similar words
店主diàn zhǔ: The person who owns a store and determines its operating and sales policies.
店长diàn zhǎng: The person who manages a store's staff and keeps its daily work organized.
上司shàng sī: A higher-ranking person at work who assigns duties and assesses an employee's work.
Definition in Chinese
口语中用来称呼在店铺、餐馆等处实际掌管营业事务或出资的人，亦可泛指雇主或经营者。kóu yǔ zhōng yòng lái chēng hū zài diàn pù cān guǎn děng chù shí jì zháng guǎn yíng yè shì wù huò chū zī de rén yì kě fàn zhǐ gù zhǔ huò jīng yíng zhě
Word origin
老板 (lǎobǎn, "boss") combines 老 (lǎo, "old") with 板 (bǎn, "board"), whose older regional use is associated with a shopkeeper or person in charge.
Usage tips
- In a Chinese shop or restaurant, the person running the business may be addressed as boss even when no employment relationship is involved, unlike the usual English use of boss.