老人

Chinese

	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	man; person; people
trad. (老人)	老	人
simp. ^#(老人)	老	人
alternative forms	老儂／老侬 coastal Min (colloquial)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lǎorén

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lou⁵ jan⁴

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lau² ngin³ / lau² ngin^3*
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ló-ngìn
Northern Min (KCR): sē-nêng
Eastern Min (BUC): lâu-nè̤ng
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): lāu-lâng / lǎu-lâng / ló-jîn

(Teochew, Peng'im): lao² nang⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶lau-gnin

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lǎorén
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lǎorén
  - Wade–Giles: lao³-jên²
  - Yale: lǎu-rén
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laoren
  - Palladius: лаожэнь (laožɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁵ jan⁴
  - Yale: lóuh yàhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ jan⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ yen⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ jɐn²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lau² ngin³ / lau² ngin^3*
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau⁵⁵ ᵑɡin²²/, /lau⁵⁵ ᵑɡin²²⁻²²⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ló-ngìn
  - Hakka Romanization System: lo^ˋ ngin^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: lo³ ngin²
  - Sinological IPA: /lo³¹ ŋin¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sē-nêng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /se⁵⁵ neiŋ³³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: lâu-nè̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃au²⁴²⁻⁵⁵ nˡøyŋ⁵³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese, Zhangzhou, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lāu-lâng
  - Tâi-lô: lāu-lâng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lauxlaang
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau²²⁻²¹ laŋ¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /lau³³⁻¹¹ laŋ²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lau³³⁻²¹ laŋ²³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /lau²²⁻²¹ laŋ²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Nan'an, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lǎu-lâng
  - Tâi-lô: lǎu-lâng
  - IPA (Jinjiang, Philippines): /lau³³⁻²² laŋ²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Nan'an): /lau²² laŋ²⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ló-jîn
  - Tâi-lô: ló-jîn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: loyjiin
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ zin²³/

Note:

lāu-lâng - colloquial;
ló-jîn - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: lao² nang⁵
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: láu nâng
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau⁵²⁻³⁵ naŋ⁵⁵/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶lau-gnin
  - MiniDict: lau^去 nyin
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³lau-nyin
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /lɔ²² n̠ʲin⁴⁴/

Middle Chinese: lawX nyin

Rime
Character	老	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	日 (38)
Final (韻)	豪 (89)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	盧晧切	如鄰切
Baxter	lawX	nyin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɑu^X/	/ȵiɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑu^X/	/ȵin/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑu^X/	/ȵʑjen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/law^X/	/ȵin/
Li Rong	/lɑu^X/	/ȵiĕn/
Wang Li	/lɑu^X/	/ȵʑĭĕn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/lɑu^X/	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǎo	rén
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lou⁵	jan⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.rˤuʔ ni[ŋ]/

(Zhengzhang): /*ruːʔ njin/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	老	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lǎo	rén
Middle Chinese	‹ law^X ›	‹ nyin ›
Old Chinese	/*C.rˁuʔ/	/*ni[ŋ]/
English	old	(other) person
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	老	人
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	7666	10800
Phonetic component	老	人
Rime group	幽	眞
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	老	仁
Old Chinese	/*ruːʔ/	/*njin/

Noun

老人

old person; the old; the elderly
他的父親看起來是一位精神矍鑠的老人。 [MSC, trad.]
他的父亲看起来是一位精神矍铄的老人。 [MSC, simp.]
Tā de fùqīn kànqilai shì yī wèi jīngshén juéshuò de lǎorén. [Pinyin]
His father looks like a sprightly old man.

從老人一直到小孩無不歡欣鼓舞。 [MSC, trad.]
从老人一直到小孩无不欢欣鼓舞。 [MSC, simp.]
Cóng lǎorén yīzhí dào xiǎohái wúbù huānxīngǔwǔ. [Pinyin]
Everyone from the elderly to the children rejoiced.
elder

Synonyms

(old person):

edit

家先生 (Hakka, polite, term of address)
老人家 (polite, term of address)
老大人 (Hokkien, polite, term of address)
老年人 (lǎoniánrén)
老者 (lǎozhě) (literary)
黃髮 / 黄发 (huángfà) (literary)

(elder):

edit

上一代 (shàng yīdài)
上輩 / 上辈 (shàngbèi)
先輩 / 先辈 (xiānbèi)
前輩 / 前辈 (qiánbèi)
老勻 / 老匀 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
老輩 / 老辈 (lǎobèi)
長輩 / 长辈 (zhǎngbèi)

Antonyms

(antonym(s) of “elder”):

edit

下一代 (xià yīdài)
下丁下輩 / 下丁下辈 (Puxian Min)
下丁輩 / 下丁辈 (Puxian Min)
下勻 / 下匀 (Hokkien)
下輩 / 下辈 (xiàbèi)
小輩子 / 小辈子 (xiao³ bei⁴ zi³) (Sichuanese)
序細 / 序细 (Hokkien)
後生 / 后生 (hòushēng)
後輩 / 后辈 (hòubèi)
晚輩 / 晚辈 (wǎnbèi)
細輩 / 细辈 (soi³ buê³) (Teochew)

Derived terms

不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 / 不听老人言，吃亏在眼前 (bùtīng lǎorén yán, chīkuī zài yǎnqián)
老人失智症 (lǎorén shīzhìzhèng)
老人家
老人星 (Lǎorénxīng)
老人機 / 老人机 (lǎorénjī)
老人毋講古，少年毋捌寶 / 老人毋讲古，少年毋捌宝
老人贍養 / 老人赡养 (lǎorén shànyǎng)
耶誕老人 / 耶诞老人 (Yēdàn Lǎorén)
聖誕老人 / 圣诞老人 (Shèngdàn Lǎorén)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (老人):

→ Japanese: 老人(ろうじん) (rōjin)
→ Korean: 노인(老人) (noin)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
老	人
ろう Grade: 4	じん Grade: 1
kan'on

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Probably borrowed from Chinese”)

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ろーじん [ròójíń] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
IPA^(key): [ɾo̞ːʑĩɴ]

Noun

老(ろう)人(じん) • (rōjin) ^{←らうじん (rauzin)^?}

old person; elderly

Synonyms

Derived terms

老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい) (rōjinsei, “senile”)
老(ろう)人(じん)福(ふく)祉(し) (rōjin fukushi, “welfare for the aged”)
老(ろう)人(じん)医(い)学(がく) (rōjin igaku, “geriatrics”)
老(ろう)人(じん)学(がく) (rōjingaku, “gerontology”)
老(ろう)人(じん)福(ふく)祉(し)施(し)設(せつ) (rōjin fukushishisetsu, “retirement home”)
老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい)白(はく)内(ない)障(しょう) (rōjinsei hakunaishō, “senile cataract”)
老(ろう)人(じん)ホーム (rōjin hōmu, “nursing home”)
老(ろう)人(じん)斑(はん) (rōjinhan, “senile plaque”)
老(ろう)人(じん)施(し)設(せつ) (rōjin shisetsu, “old folks' home”)
老(ろう)人(じん)介(かい)護(ご) (rōjin kaigo, “elderly care”)
老(ろう)人(じん)問(もん)題(だい) (rōjin mondai, “problems of the elderly; problems of an aging society”)
老(ろう)人(じん)保(ほ)健(けん)施(し)設(せつ) (rōjin hokenshisetsu, “rehabilitation facility for the elderly”)
老(ろう)人(じん)病(びょう) (rōjinbyō, “geriatric diseases”)
老(ろう)人(じん)医(い)療(りょう) (rōjin iryō, “geriatrics”)
老(ろう)人(じん)病(びょう)院(いん) (rōjin byōin, “geriatric hospital”)
老(ろう)人(じん)福(ふく)祉(し)法(ほう) (rōjin fukushihō, “elderly welfare law”)
老(ろう)人(じん)医(い)療(りょう)保(ほ)険(けん) (rōjin iryōhoken, “medical insurance for the elderly”)
老(ろう)人(じん)力(りょく) (rōjinryoku, “grey power”)
老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい)痴(ち)呆(ほう) (rōjinsei chihō, “senile dementia”)
老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい)痴(ち)呆(ほう)症(しょう) (rōjinsei chihōshō, “senile dementia”)
老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい)認(にん)知(ち)症(しょう) (rōjinsei ninchishō, “senile dementia”)
老(ろう)人(じん)遺(い)棄(き) (rōjin iki, “abandoning old people in the mountains, etc.”)
老(ろう)人(じん)性(せい)愛(あい) (rōjin seiai, “gerontophilia”)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
老	人

Noun

老人 • (noin) (hangeul 노인)

hanja form^? of 노인 (“old person, elderly”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

Chinese

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

See also

Japanese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

Korean

Noun