老一辈 (lǎo yī bèi) — older generation

Definition

noun

older generation

老一辈。
Wǒ men yào duō tīng lǎo yī bèi de yì jiàn.
We should listen more to the opinions of the older generation.
老一辈，。
lǎo yī bèi Chī guò hěn duō kǔ, zhí dé wǒ men zūn zhòng.
The older generation has endured a lot of hardship and deserves our respect.
老一辈。
Zhè bù jì lù piàn jiǎng shù le lǎo yī bèi de gù shi.
This documentary tells the stories of the older generation.

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.

一辈one generation

偏正Modifier + head

The 老 means older, and the 一辈 names one generation, together pointing to the older generation.

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.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

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 輩; 辈 is its simplified writing.

車非輩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jū

Sound part声符shēngfú

非

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輩 pairs 車 (vehicle) with 非, which gives the sound; this describes 輩, not the simplified 辈.