| Trad. | Simp. | Pinyin | English |
| 老 | lǎo | (a prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity); old (of people); venerable (person) | |
| 老百姓 | lǎo bǎi xìng | ordinary people; the "person in the street" | |
| 老闆 | 老板 | lǎo bǎn | boss; business proprietor |
| 老伴 | lǎo bàn | (n) better half | |
| 老伴兒 | 老伴儿 | lǎo ban4r | (of an old married couple) husband or wife |
| 老兵 | lǎo bīng | veteran | |
| 老成 | lǎo chéng | (adj) experienced; trained | |
| 老大哥 | lǎo dà gē | big brother | |
| 老大媽 | 老大妈 | lǎo dà mā | "Madam" (affectionate term for an elderly woman) |
| 老大娘 | lǎo dà niáng | aunty; granny | |
| 老大爺 | 老大爷 | lǎo dà yé | uncle; grandpa |
| 老二 | lǎo èr | the second child or brother (or sister) | |
| 老公 | lǎo gong | (informal) husband | |
| 老漢 | 老汉 | lǎo hàn | (n) old man; (n) I (self reference by an old man) |
| 老河口 | Lǎo hé kǒu | (N) Laohekou (city in Hubei) | |
| 老虎 | lǎo hǔ | tiger | |
| 老花 | lǎo huā | presbyopia | |
| 老化 | lǎo huà | (v) become old (person or thing) | |
| 老化酶 | lǎo huà méi | aged enzyme | |
| 老驥伏櫪志在千里 | 老骥伏枥志在千里 | lǎo jì fú lì zhì zài qiān lǐ | (lit.) an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 li; (fig.) old people may still cherish high aspirations |
| 老家 | lǎo jiā | native place; place of origin; home state or region | |
| 老兩口兒 | 老两口儿 | lǎo liǎng koǔr | an old married couple |
| 老奶奶 | lǎo nǎi nai | (informal) father's father's mother; paternal great grandmother | |
| 老年 | lǎo nián | elderly | |
| 老年痴獃 | 老年痴呆 | lǎo nián chī dāi | senile dementia; Alzheimer’s disease |
| 老年痴獃症 | 老年痴呆症 | lǎo nián chī dāi zhèng | senile dementia; Alzheimer’s disease |
| 老年人 | lǎo nián rén | old people; the elderly | |
| 老牌 | lǎo pái | old brand; old style; old school | |
| 老婆 | lǎo pó | (informal) wife | |
| 老人 | lǎo rén | old people; the aged | |
| 老人家 | lǎo rén jiā | (n) polite term for old woman or man | |
| 老舍 | Lǎo Shě | Lao She (famous Chinese writer) | |
| 老師 | 老师 | lǎo shī | teacher |
| 老實巴交 | 老实巴交 | lǎo shí bā jiāo | honest; good natured |
| 老是 | lǎo shi | always | |
| 老鼠 | lǎo shǔ | rat; mouse | |
| 老態龍鍾 | 老态龙锺 | lǎo tài lóng zhōng | doddering; senile |
| 老太婆 | lǎo tài pó | (n) old woman (often not polite); (n) term to refer to wife | |
| 老套 | lǎo tào | old things; old ways (pejorative) | |
| 老天爺 | 老天爷 | lǎo tiān yě | God; Heavens |
| 老頭 | 老头 | lǎo tóu | old fellow |
| 老頭兒 | 老头儿 | lǎo tóu er | (n) old n (often not polite) |
| 老外 | lǎo wài | foreigner | |
| 老撾 | 老挝 | lǎo wō | Laos |
| 老鄉 | 老乡 | lǎo xiāng | fellow-townsman; fellow-villager |
| 老兄 | lǎo xiōng | 'old chap' (form of address between male friends) | |
| 老爺爺 | 老爷爷 | lǎo yé ye | (informal) father's father's father; paternal great grandfather |
| 老爺 | 老爷 | lǎo ye | (informal) maternal grandfather; mother's father |
| 老一輩 | 老一辈 | lǎo yī bèi | (n) one generation older |
| 老遠 | 老远 | lǎo yuǎn | very far away |
| 老資格 | 老资格 | lǎo zī ge | veteran |
| 老子 | Lǎo zǐ | Laozi (Chinese philosopher) |
Click on the pinyin to hear it pronounced. The simplified version is shown only if different from the traditional.
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