您老

nínlǎo
pronoun #31,453

Meanings

  1. 1 you (highly respectful, especially for an elder)
  2. 2 honored sir/madam

Examples

Nínlǎo shēntǐ hái hǎo ba?
Are you keeping well, sir?
Zhè jiàn shì hái děi qǐng nínlǎo zhǐdiǎn.
I still need to ask for your guidance on this matter, respected elder.

Tips

register
您老 stacks two honorifics: (the polite 'you') + (a respectful tag for elders). It's used by the young addressing a much older or higher-status person — e.g. addressing an elderly customer, a teacher's father, or a venerable craftsman. Very common in Beijing speech and period dramas.
mistakes
Don't use 您老 for someone close to your own age — it sounds either fawning or sarcastic. For peers, plain is enough; among friends, .

Stroke Order

nín
lǎo