HSK · Level 5
133 words
Chinese word
老汉
Pronunciation
Pinyinlǎo hàn
Meaning
- nounold man
Example
公交车上有个老汉给别人让座。gōng jiāo chē shàng yǒu gè lǎo hàn gěi bié rén ràng zuò
There was an old man on the bus who gave his seat to someone else.
More examples
每次乘地铁，我都会给老汉让座。měi cì chéng dì tiě wǒ dū huì gěi lǎo hàn ràng zuò
Every time I take the subway, I give my seat to an old man.
Core concept
A colloquial view of an older male as a familiar figure in ordinary daily life.
Common phrases
给老汉让座gěi lǎo hàn ràng zuò
give one's seat to an old man
对老汉表示尊敬duì lǎo hàn biǎo shì zūn jìng
show respect to an old man
跟老汉聊天gēn lǎo hàn liáo tiān
chat with an old man
照顾老汉zhào gù lǎo hàn
take care of an old man
Similar words
老人lǎo rén: An older person described with a common, generally neutral term.
老年人lǎo nián rén: An elderly person referred to politely, especially in medical, administrative, or public settings.
老头lǎo tóu: An older man referred to in a very casual, somewhat folksy way.
Definition in Chinese
指年纪较大、男性的口语称呼，常用于非正式场合，语气中性或略带亲切，与“老人”“老年人”含义接近。zhǐ nián jì jiào dà nán xìng de kóu yǔ chēng hū cháng yòng yú fēi zhèng shì chǎng hé yǔ qì zhōng xìng huò lüè dài qīn qiè yǔ lǎo rén lǎo nián rén hán yì jiē jìn
Word origin
The word combines 老 (lǎo, "old") with 汉 (hàn, "man"), a colloquial formation that identifies an older male.
Usage tips
- Its colloquial tone suits informal conversation and narration, while using it directly for an unfamiliar older person can sound too blunt.
Other meanings
- elderly personnoun
Opposites
- 年轻人nián qīng rényoung personnoun