老 lǎo
“prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity; old (of people); venerable (person)”
adjective, adverbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
老 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 745: 老 lǎo — Level 3; official annotation 3（4） (形、前缀、（副）). PDF page 98
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 老
老 has several common uses. As an adjective it means 'old' (as in 老人 or 老房子). Before a surname it is a friendly prefix (老王 = Lao Wang), and before 大/二/三... it marks birth order among siblings (老大, 老二); as an adverb before a verb it can mean 'always/often' (他老迟到).
例句Example sentences
- 这栋房子很老。zhè dòng fáng zi hěn lǎo.This house is very old.
- 老王是我的邻居。lǎo wáng shì wǒ de lín jū.Lao Wang is my neighbor.
- 她在家排行老二。tā zài jiā pái xíng lǎo èr.She is the second child in her family.