polite term for father's friend/friend's father; elderly man
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
a respectful term for one's father's friend or a friend's father
formalUsed as a polite form of address or reference. Can also be used in writing. The term implies a degree of familiarity and respect.
Zhè这
wèi位
shì是
wǒ我
fù父
qīn亲
de的
lǎo老
zhàn战
yǒu友
，
nǐ你
yīng应
gāi该
jiào叫
lǎo老
bó伯
。
This is an old comrade-in-arms of my father's; you should address him as "Lǎobó".
Wǒ我
qù去
bài拜
fǎng访
le了
Wáng王
lǎo老
bó伯
，
tā他
shì是
wǒ我
bà爸
ba爸
de的
dà大
xué学
tóng同
xué学
。
I visited Uncle Wang, who is my dad's university classmate.
noun
a respectful term for an elderly man (polite address)
formalA polite and slightly old-fashioned way to address an older man whose exact relationship or name you don't know. Less formal than "老先生" but more formal than "大爷" in some contexts.
Lǎo老
bó伯
，
qǐng请
wèn问
qù去
huǒ火
chē车
zhàn站
zěn怎
me么
zǒu走
？
Excuse me, sir, could you tell me how to get to the train station?
Gōng公
yuán园
lǐ里
yī一
wèi位
cí慈
xiáng祥
de的
lǎo老
bó伯
zhèng正
zài在
wèi喂
gē鸽
zi子
。
A kindly old gentleman was feeding pigeons in the park.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Zhè这
wèi位
lǎo老
bó伯
tuì退
xiū休
qián前
shì是
wèi位
jiào教
shī师
。
This elderly gentleman was a teacher before he retired.