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元老 (yuán lǎo) — senior figure; elder; doyen (often a founding or long-standing member of an organization or field)

Definition

元老 refers to a long-standing founding or veteran member of an organization, party, or field — respect built from tenure, not formal rank. More specifically tied to an institution than 长辈 (family elders) or 泰斗 (a field's leading authority).

noun
senior figureelderdoyen (often a founding or long-standing member of an organization or field)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 元老，。
    Zuò wéi gōng sī de yuán lǎo, tā jiàn zhèng le qǐ yè sān shí nián de fā zhǎn.
    As a senior figure of the company, he has witnessed thirty years of the enterprise's development.
  • 元老。
    Zhè wèi yuán lǎo zài xué shù jiè dé gāo wàng zhòng.
    This doyen in academia is highly respected.
  • 元老。
    Dǎng nèi jǐ wèi yuán lǎo gòng tóng cān yù le zhè cì jué cè.
    Several senior figures within the party jointly participated in this decision.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

元yuánchief
老lǎoveteran

元 “chief” and 老 “veteran” combine to mean a leading veteran.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 元 shows a figure with two lines for a head, one connected to the body and one above it, emphasizing the head.

Open 元 →

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 7-9Life Stages & AgeSocial Roles & Status

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