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老爷 (lǎo ye) — (historical) master, lord, sir (term of address for a high-ranking man or employer); (dialectal) maternal grandfather, grandpa

Definition

老爷 has two main meanings: in historical/formal context it means 'master' or 'lord' (as servants addressed an employer); in modern colloquial speech it means 'maternal grandpa'. The set phrase 摆老爷架子 means 'to put on lordly airs'.

noun
(historical) masterlordsir (term of address for a high-ranking man or employer)(dialectal) maternal grandfathergrandpa
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 老爷。
    Jiā lǐ de pú rén dōu chēng tā wèi lǎo ye.
    The servants at home all called him 'master'.
  • 老爷，。
    Wǒ xiǎo shí hou cháng qù lǎo ye jiā wán, tā zǒng gěi wǒ táng chī.
    When I was little, I often played at Grandpa's house, and he always gave me candy.
  • 老爷，。
    Tā dōu tuì xiū le hái tiān tiān bǎi lǎo ye jià zi, shuí dōu bú yuàn yì lǐ tā.
    He's already retired but still puts on airs like a lord; nobody wants to deal with him.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
前缀qiánzhuìPrefix

A fixed syllable in front that adds a shade of meaning but carries none of its own.

老lǎorespectful
爷yémaster

The respectful 老 combines with 爷, which here means master or sir, not father.

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 爺; 爷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
父父fùfather
Sound part声符shēngfú
耶
耶yē爺yé
Same sound today

The traditional form 爺 combines 父, meaning father, with 耶 as a sound part; the simplified 爷 is a later shorthand, so its visible pieces do not carry that original role.

Open 爷 →
Appears in
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