老人

lǎo rén

old people; the aged

HSK Level 1

Example Sentences

我奶奶今年80岁了。

wǒ nǎinai jīnnián bāshí suìle.

My grandmother is 80 years old this year.

老人喜欢在公园里散步。

lǎorén xǐhuan zài gōngyuán lǐ sàn bù.

The elderly like to take walks in the park.

老人需要我们的照顾。

lǎorén xūyào wǒmen de zhàogù.

The elderly need our care.

Synonyms

老人家 (lǎorénjiā)

old person

老年人 (lǎoniánrén)

elderly person

长者 (zhǎngzhě)

senior

Antonyms

小孩 (xiǎohái)

child

年轻人 (niánqīng rén)

young person

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese word for "old person" is 老人 (lǎorén). It is composed of two characters: 老 (lǎo), which means "old", and 人 (rén), which means "person". The character 老 is a pictograph of a person with a long beard, which is a traditional symbol of old age in Chinese culture. The character 人 is a pictograph of a person standing upright, which is a general symbol of a human being. Together, the two characters 老人 form a compound word that means "old person".The word 老人 is used in a variety of contexts to refer to people who are old. It can be used as a respectful term of address for an elderly person, or it can be used in a more general sense to refer to the elderly population as a whole. In addition, the word 老人 can be used in a metaphorical sense to refer to something that is old or outdated. For example, the phrase 老思想 (lǎo sīxiǎng) means "old thinking" or "outdated ideas".The word 老人 is a common word in Chinese, and it is used by people of all ages. It is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts, and it is an important part of the Chinese language.