叟

sǒu

丨 + 又 + 臼

Definitions

sǒu old gentleman; old man

Etymology

Depicts a hand (又) holding a torch (火) in a dark room (宀) looking for something. Based on the original meaning "search for", now written as 搜. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 叟 serves as a respectful term for an elderly man in formal or classical contexts. Its modern form combines 臼 on top and 又 below, though these components no longer function as direct semantic or phonetic markers. Historically, it originated as an ideogrammatic compound depicting a hand holding a stick or torch, later evolving into its current stylized shape. In classical texts and historical titles, 叟 specifically denotes a venerable senior male figure.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

那位老叟很健康。

Nà wèi lǎo sǒu hěn jiànkāng.

That old man is very healthy.

公园里有个老叟在散步。

Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu gè lǎo sǒu zài sànbù.

There is an old man walking in the park.

这位老叟每天都会读报纸。

Zhè wèi lǎo sǒu měitiān dōu huì dú bàozhǐ.

This old man reads newspapers every day.

孩子们喜欢听老叟讲故事。

Háizimen xǐhuān tīng lǎo sǒu jiǎng gùshi.

The children like to listen to the old man tell stories.

那位慈祥的老叟帮助了很多人。

Nà wèi cíxiáng de lǎo sǒu bāngzhùle hěnduō rén.

That kind old man has helped many people.

在村庄里，一位白发老叟备受尊敬。

Zài cūnzhuāng lǐ, yī wèi báifà lǎo sǒu bèi shòu zūnjìng.

In the village, a white-haired old man is highly respected.

这位老叟虽然年事已高，但思维依然敏捷。

Zhè wèi lǎo sǒu suīrán niánshì yǐ gāo, dàn sīwéi yīrán mǐnjié.

Although this old man is advanced in years, his thinking is still sharp.

通过这位老叟的经历，我们学到了宝贵的人生智慧。

Tōngguò zhè wèi lǎo sǒu de jīnglì, wǒmen xuédàole bǎoguì de rénshēng zhìhuì.

Through this old man's experiences, we have learned valuable life wisdom.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 丨

Component: 又

Component: 臼

叟