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养老 (yǎng lǎo) — to provide for one's elderly parents, to support the elderly; to enjoy a life in retirement

Definition

养老 covers two ideas: supporting one's aging parents (financially or in daily life), and living one's own retired life. Among the 养-family verbs, 赡养 is more formal/legal for supporting parents, while 养 is general (children, pets, finances).

verb
to provide for one's elderly parents, to support the elderlyto enjoy a life in retirement

Examples

  • 养老。
    Tā měi gè yuè dōu jì qián huí jiā gěi fù mǔ yǎng lǎo.
    He sends money home every month to support his parents in their old age.
  • ，养老。
    Tuì xiū hòu, yé ye zài lǎo jiā yǎng lǎo.
    After retirement, grandpa lives out his old age in his hometown.
  • 养老。
    Hěn duō guó jiā dōu yǒu hěn hǎo de yǎng lǎo zhì dù.
    Many countries have good old-age support systems.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

养yǎngsupport
老lǎothe old

养老 joins 养 (support) and 老 (the old), meaning to provide for elderly parents or spend one's old age.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 養; 养 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 養 uses 羊 as a sound part and 食 as a meaning part.

Open 养 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Family & KinshipLife Stages & Age

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