old man; elderly man; self-reference of old man
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
old man; elderly man
Often used in rural or informal contexts to refer to an elderly male, sometimes with connotations of rustic simplicity or plainness.
Cūn村
tóu头
zuò坐
zhe着
yī一
wèi位
lǎo老
hàn汉
，
zhèng正
zài在
chōu抽
hàn旱
yān烟
。
An old man sat at the village entrance, smoking his pipe.
Zhè这
wèi位
lǎo老
hàn汉
kàn看
qǐ起
lái来
qī七
shí十
duō多
suì岁
le了
，
dàn但
shēn身
tǐ体
hái还
hěn很
yìng硬
lǎng朗
。
This old man looks to be over seventy, but he is still hale and hearty.
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Shān山
lǐ里
yǒu有
yī一
wèi位
gū孤
guǎ寡
lǎo老
hàn汉
，
kào靠
zhòng种
dì地
wéi为
shēng生
。
There is a lonely old man in the mountains who makes his living by farming.
noun
self-reference used by an elderly man
Used when an old man refers to himself, often conveying humility, rustic simplicity, or familiarity. Common in rural dialects or historical contexts.
Lǎo老
hàn汉
wǒ我
jīn今
nián年
qī七
shí十
le了
，
méi没
jiàn见
guo过
zhè这
me么
dà大
de的
yǔ雨
。
This old man is seventy this year; I've never seen such heavy rain.
Nín您
yǒu有
shén什
me么
shì事
，
jǐn尽
guǎn管
fēn吩
fu咐
lǎo老
hàn汉
qù去
zuò做
。
If you have any matters, just instruct this old man to do them.
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Lǎo老
hàn汉
wǒ我
shēn身
tǐ体
hái还
jiē结
shi实
，
hái还
néng能
gàn干
jǐ几
nián年
huó活
er儿
。
This old man's body is still strong; I can still work for a few more years.