老天爷 (Lǎo tiān yé) — (the traditional Chinese) God of Heaven; Heavens (personified ruler of the celestial realm)
Definition
老天爷 is a colloquial, personified way of saying 'Heavens!' — used as an exclamation of frustration or appeal (老天爷, 这可怎么办? 'Good heavens, what do we do?'), not the formal religious 'God'.
noun
(the traditional Chinese) God of HeavenHeavens (personified ruler of the celestial realm)
Examples
- 老天爷。Xī wàng Lǎo tiān yé néng bǎo yòu wǒ men yí lù píng ān.I hope Heaven will bless us with a safe journey.
- 老天爷，？Lǎo tiān yé, Zhè kě zěn me bàn cái hǎo?Good heavens, what should we do now?
- 老天爷，！Lǎo tiān yé A, nǐ zěn me yòu xià yǔ le!Oh heavens, why is it raining again!
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