Definitions

lǎo male; man (Cantonese)

Etymology

An old  person  also provides the pronunciation

About

The character 佬 is a phono-semantic compound, with the person radical 亻 on the left indicating its reference to people. The right side, 老, provides the phonetic element while also contributing a sense of age or seniority. It functions as a colloquial term for a man or fellow, especially in southern dialects like Cantonese. When combined with adjectives, its connotation can range from neutral, such as denoting a person from a place, to mildly pejorative, suggesting undesirable characteristics.

Example Sentences Hide

他是我的大

Tā shì wǒ de dàlǎo.

He is my big brother/boss.

那个阔很有钱。

Nàge kuòlǎo hěn yǒu qián.

That rich man is very wealthy.

我不想做和事

Wǒ bù xiǎng zuò héshìlǎo.

I don't want to be a peacemaker.

广东喜欢喝早茶。

Guǎngdōng lǎo xǐhuan hē zǎochá.

Cantonese people like to drink morning tea.

那个乡下没见过世面。

Nàge xiāngxià lǎo méi jiànguò shìmiàn.

That country bumpkin has never seen the world.

这个鬼中文说得很好。

Zhège guǐlǎo Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.

This foreigner speaks Chinese very well.

们正在开会讨论问题。

Dàlǎo men zhèngzài kāihuì tǎolùn wèntí.

The bosses are having a meeting to discuss issues.

他扮演和事的角色很成功。

Tā bànyǎn héshìlǎo de juésè hěn chénggōng.

He successfully played the role of a peacemaker.