老先生

lǎoxiānsheng

noun #29,205

Meanings

1 elderly gentleman
2 old gentleman
3 respectful address for an older man

Characters

old; elderly; experienced

first; preceding; late (deceased)

born; life; student; sir (suffix)

Examples

那位老先生每天早上在公园打太极。

Nà wèi lǎo xiānsheng měi tiān zǎoshang zài gōngyuán dǎ tàijí.

That elderly gentleman practices tai chi in the park every morning.

请问这位老先生，附近有银行吗？

Qǐngwèn zhè wèi lǎo xiānsheng, fùjìn yǒu yínháng ma?

Excuse me, sir, is there a bank nearby?

Tips

usage

老先生 is a respectful term of address for an older man. 先生 alone means 'mister/sir', while 老 adds a tone of respect for age and experience. Similar to 老奶奶 (elderly grandmother figure) for older women.

Stroke Order

老 lǎo

先 xiān

生 shēng