老朽

lǎoxiǔ
adjective #35,102

Meanings

  1. 1 decrepit and useless (of a person)
  2. 2 old and behind the times
  3. 3 (humble first-person, used by an elderly person) this old fool

Examples

Tā zìchēng lǎoxiǔ, qíshí tóunǎo hái hěn qīngxǐng.
He calls himself an old fool, but actually his mind is still very sharp.
Zhè ge zhìdù yǐjīng lǎoxiǔ, xūyào gǎigé.
This system has grown decrepit and needs reform.

Tips

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老朽 has two flavors: (1) adjective 'decrepit/obsolete' applied to people, systems, or ideas — usually negative; (2) classical humble pronoun used by elderly speakers about themselves, e.g. 老朽 'this old fool lacks talent'. The second usage is very literary, common in period dramas and wuxia fiction.

Stroke Order

lǎo
xiǔ