old man, old age, grow old

About this kanji

The kanji 「老」 primarily means "old" or "to grow old." It is often used in nouns related to aging. A common compound is 「長老」 (ちょうろう), which means "elder," often used to refer to a respected older person. Another useful term is 「老後」 (ろうご), meaning "old age," which describes the period of life after retirement. You might also encounter 「老人」 (ろうじん), meaning "old person," or 「老人ホーム」 (ろうじんホーム), which means "retirement home." A key point to remember is that while this kanji relates to aging, it often carries a tone of respect when used in compounds.

Example sentences

• 老いることは避けられない。

  Aging is unavoidable.

Meanings across languages

English

old man, old age, grow old

Tiếng Việt

người già, tuổi già, trở nên già

日本語

老人, 老い, 年を取る

한국어

노인, 노화, 늙다

中文

老人, 老年, 变老

id

orang tua, usia lanjut, menjadi tua

th

คนแก่, ความชรา, แก่ขึ้น

es

anciano, vejez, envejecer

fr

vieux homme, vieillesse, vieillir

de

Alter Mann, Alter, alt werden

pt

velho, idade avançada, envelhecer

Common compounds

• 長老ちょうろうelder, senior, senior monk
• 老後ろうごold age
• 老人ろうじんold person, senior citizen, the aged
• 老人ホームろうじんホームretirement home, old people's home, senior citizens' home
• 敬老けいろうrespect for the aged
• 初老しょろうpast middle age, nearing old age, near-elderly
• 老朽ろうきゅうinfirmity (due to old age), decrepitude, senility
• 老衰ろうすいsenility, senile decay, infirmity (through age)