老 lǎo

1. lǎo adjective old; aged; elderly; aging
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
   Notes: For example, in literary Chinese, 老馬識途 'an old horse knows the road', from Han Feizi's Shuo Lin Shang (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 1; DCP 'L50'; Kroll 2015 '老' 1; Unihan '老')
2. lǎo noun Kangxi radical 125
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Radicals
   Notes: (ABC back cover; GHC p. 7)
3. lǎo prefix indicates seniority or age
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: In this use, 老 is a prefix used with a person's surname to indicate seniority or with numbers to indicate order or birth amongst brothers and sisters in a familar. For example, 老大 'eldest child' (ABC 'lǎo' 老 prefix 1; Kroll 2015 '老' 1a; Norman 1988, p. 113; Sun 2006, loc. 691).
4. lǎo adjective vegetables that have become old and tough
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Food and Drink
   Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 4)
5. lǎo adverb always
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   Notes: Note that in this sense 老 is used before the verb it modifies (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 2; Sun 2006, loc. 2053)
6. lǎo adverb very
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
   Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 1)
7. lǎo adjective experienced
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: (Unihan '老')
8. lǎo bound form humble self-reference
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: Bound with 老身 'oldy' (Kroll 2015 '老' 1b)
9. lǎo adjective of long standing
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
   Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 2)
10. lǎo adjective dark
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Color
    Notes: Of colors (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 5)
11. lǎo adjective outdated
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
    Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 sv 3)
12. lǎo noun old people; the elderly
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
    Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 n 1)
13. lǎo noun parents
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Family
    Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 n 2)
14. lǎo prefix indicates familiarity
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
    Notes: In this use, 老 is a diminutive venacular form used with a person's surname to indicate familiarity. For example, Lao Wang 老王, for somebody whose surname is Wang (ABC 'lǎo' 老 prefix 2; Kroll 2015 '老' 1a; Norman 1988, p. 113; Sun 2006, loc. 691).
15. lǎo adverb for a long time
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Function Words
    Notes: (ABC 'lǎo' 老 adv 3)
16. lǎo adjective old; jarā
    Domain: Buddhism 佛教
    Notes: Sanskrit equivalent: jarā; Japanese: rou, Tibetan: rga ba (BCSD '老', p. 952; Mahāvyutpatti 'jarā'; MW 'jarā'; Lusthaus 2002, p. 544; SH '老', p. 218; Unihan '老')

Contained in

• 譬喻问号(二) 智慧似海洋， 深乎浅乎？ 戒律似老师， 是正是邪？ 布施似耕耘， 有收无收？ 供养似奉献， 真心假意？ 美女似春花， 是久是暂？ 欲望似饑渴， 太多太少？ 语言似冬阳， 炙乎暖乎？ 笑容似春风， 是真是假？ 时间似车轮， 该快该慢？ 精进似电力， 是动是停？(譬喻問號(二) 智慧似海洋， 深乎淺乎？ 戒律似老師， 是正是邪？ 布施似耕耘， 有收無收？ 供養似奉獻， 真心假意？ 美女似春花， 是久是暫？ 欲望似饑渴， 太多太少？ 語言似冬陽， 炙乎暖乎？ 笑容似春風， 是真是假？ 時間似車輪， 該快該慢？ 精進似電力， 是動是停？) Metaphors (2) Wisdom is an ocean. Is it shallow or deep? Precepts are teachers. Are they righteous or not? Generosity is cultivation. Will there be harvests or not? Offering is dedication. Is it genuine or pretentious? Beauty is a spring blossom. Does it last long or short? Desire is thirst. Is it too much or too little? Words are the winter sun. Do they warm or burn? Smile is a spring breeze. Is it real or fake? Time is a cartwheel. Should it go fast or slow? Diligence is electricity. Should it energize or stop?
• 世人二十苦 忍者苦口难言 愚者苦海无边 病者苦不堪言 盲者苦于无光 佞者苦心积虑 孤者苦无照顾 老者苦有代沟 贪者苦求无着 贫者苦雨淒风 邪者苦事无穷 犯者苦陷牢狱 恶者苦果必然 业者苦心经营 师者苦口婆心 达者苦中有乐 勇者苦忍有力 学者苦心研究 勤者苦尽甘来 智者苦能转乐 仁者苦节飘香(世人二十苦 忍者苦口難言 愚者苦海無邊 病者苦不堪言 盲者苦於無光 佞者苦心積慮 孤者苦無照顧 老者苦有代溝 貪者苦求無著 貧者苦雨淒風 邪者苦事無窮 犯者苦陷牢獄 惡者苦果必然 業者苦心經營 師者苦口婆心 達者苦中有樂 勇者苦忍有力 學者苦心研究 勤者苦盡甘來 智者苦能轉樂 仁者苦節飄香) Twenty Pains of Life One who endures finds the pain indescribable. One who is ignorant is trapped in the abyss of suffering. One who is sick is in unspeakable pain. One who is blind is blocked from rays of light. One who is wicked is chained by painstaking plot. One who is in solitude is threatened by loneliness. One who is old is isolated by generation gaps. One who is greedy is deprived of freedom. One who is poor is desolated by rain and cold. One who is evil is trapped in endless suffering. One who is convicted is locked behind bars. One who is unwholesome will never escape suffering. One who is in business is entangled by the tediousness of management. One who is the teacher is willing to advise earnestly and kindly. One who is skillful is able to find joy in hardship. One who is brave has the power to end suffering. One who is well learned is able to commit to his research. One who is diligent can put an end to hardship. One who is wise can turn suffering into happiness. One who is benevolent will leave behind a good name.
• 哈陀罗哈普陀陀长老(哈陀羅哈普陀陀長老) Hatthārohaputta
• 贫穷老公经(貧窮老公經) Pinqiong Lao Gong Jing ; Pinqiong Lao Gong Jing
• 忒杀老婆(忒殺老婆) extremely compasionate [like a grandma]”
• 紫柏老人集 Collected Works by Zi Bo
• 老婆心切 like an old woman's ardent urgency ; grandmother kindness

Also contained in

老眼昏花 、 年老 、 天老爷 、 猫哭老鼠 、 老汉 、 老头儿 、 老一套 、 老子 、 老神在在 、 老马恋栈 、 老爷 、 老地方 、 父老 、 诈老实 、 老家伙 、 小老婆 、 老河口市 、 怕老婆 、 老马识途 、 月下老人 、 普通老百姓 、 秋老虎 、 老婆 、 老悭 、 老路 、 老吾老以及人之老 、 东城老父传 、 老东西 、 老拙 、 百岁老人 、 老天爷 、 啃老 、 敬老尊贤 、 老虎钳 、 老花镜 、 老实说 、 老弱 、 养老院 、 老黑 、 狗逮老鼠 、 白头到老 、 月老 、 老街 、 老人院

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

• Scroll 9 Hong Zhi Chan Shi Guang Lu 宏智禪師廣錄 — count: 72
• Scroll 8 Hong Zhi Chan Shi Guang Lu 宏智禪師廣錄 — count: 41
• Scroll 12 Saṃyuktāgama 雜阿含經 — count: 38 , has English translation , has parallel version
• Scroll 20 Abhidharmavibhāṣāśāstra (Apitan Pi Po Sha Lun) 阿毘曇毘婆沙論 — count: 34
• Scroll 6 Hongming Ji (Collection on the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism) 弘明集 — count: 33 , has English translation
• Scroll 4 Shi Shi Ji Gu Lue 釋氏稽古略 — count: 33
• Scroll 8 Guang Hong Ming Ji 廣弘明集 — count: 32 , has English translation
• Scroll 1 Catuḥsatyaśāstra (Si Di Lun) 四諦論 — count: 32
• Scroll 8 Notes on the Viṁśatikāvṛtti 成唯識論述記 — count: 29
• Scroll 2 Abhidharmajñānaprasthānaśāstra (Apidamo Fa Zhi Zu Lun) 阿毘達磨發智論 — count: 29

Collocations

• 尊长老 (尊長老) 上尊長老比丘 — Middle Length Discourses (Zhong Ahan Jing) 中阿含經, Scroll 8 — count: 19
• 老法 (老法) 我今具有如是老法 — Beginning of the World (Qi Shi Jing) 起世經, Scroll 4 — count: 19
• 缘老 (緣老) 生緣老 — Long Discourses (Chang Ahan Jing) 長阿含經, Scroll 10 — count: 11
• 老比丘 (老比丘) 天取老比丘 — Nirvāṇa Sūtra 佛般泥洹經, Scroll 2 — count: 10
• 缘生老 (緣生老) 緣生老 — Saṃyuktāgama 雜阿含經, Scroll 8 — count: 6
• 老朽 (老朽) 又復云何名知老朽 — Hu Guo Jing 護國經, Scroll 1 — count: 6
• 老时 (老時) 謂眾生老時 — Middle Length Discourses (Zhong Ahan Jing) 中阿含經, Scroll 7 — count: 6
• 谓老 (謂老) 是謂老衰 — Middle Length Discourses (Zhong Ahan Jing) 中阿含經, Scroll 31 — count: 6
• 老地 (老地) 一名老地 — Ekottarāgama 增壹阿含經, Scroll 10 — count: 5
• 离老 (離老) 十八自念我今未離老相 — Guangyi Famen Jing (Arthavighuṣṭasūtra) 廣義法門經, Scroll 1 — count: 5