Definitions

lǎo (noun) maternal grandmother
(noun) old woman; elderly female

Etymology

An older  woman  also provides the pronunciation

About

The character "姥" is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic component "女" meaning female and the component "老" which provides phonetic guidance while also contributing its semantic sense of old age, originally denoting an old woman or matron in classical Chinese. Over time, its application narrowed from this broad reference to elderly women toward a specific kinship term for maternal grandmother in modern Mandarin, a shift evident in historical texts where it occasionally appeared in broader contexts such as in the compound "天姥" for a legendary mountain figure. Its structural integrity has persisted with the elements "女" and "老" consistently defining its form and core conception.

Example Sentences Hide

很慈祥。

Wǒ lǎolao hěn cíxiáng.

My grandmother is very kind.

住在乡下。

Lǎolao zhù zài xiāngxià.

Grandmother lives in the countryside.

我经常去看

Wǒ jīngcháng qù kàn lǎolao.

I often go to see my grandmother.

做的饭很好吃。

Lǎolao zuò de fàn hěn hǎochī.

The food grandmother cooks is very delicious.

妈妈和在聊天。

Māma hé lǎolao zài liáotiān.

Mom and grandmother are chatting.

年轻时是个教师。

Lǎolao niánqīng shí shì gè jiàoshī.

Grandmother was a teacher when she was young.

我们全家都爱

Wǒmen quán jiā dōu ài lǎolao.

Our whole family loves grandmother.

给了我很多压岁钱。

Lǎolao gěi le wǒ hěn duō yāsuìqián.

Grandmother gave me a lot of lucky money.