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老五 (lǎo wǔ) — the fifth (child) in a family; Number Five (nickname or designation for the fifth-born sibling or the fifth in a group)

Definition

老五 literally means 'old five' but here it's a family nickname for the fifth-born child (the prefix 老- is affectionate, like calling a sibling 老三 or 老小). Use it as a casual name within the family, not as an official title.

noun
the fifth (child) in a familyNumber Five (nickname or designation for the fifth-born sibling or the fifth in a group)

Examples

  • 老五。
    Wǒ shū shu jiā de lǎo wǔ shì gè nán hái.
    The fifth child in my uncle's family is a boy.
  • 老五，！
    lǎo wǔ, Nǐ zhè cì kǎo shì yòu shì dì yī míng!
    Laowu, you got first place again in this exam!
  • ，老五。
    Jiā lǐ sì gè hái zi, lǎo wǔ zuì xiǎo.
    There are four children in the family, and the fifth is the youngest.

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lǎoordinal
五wǔfive

五 gives the number five, and 老 turns it into a familiar ordinal name for a family member.

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 →

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

An older form had a crossed mark between a top bar and a bottom bar. The modern 五 keeps those bars, while the original idea is uncertain.

Open 五 →
Appears in
Family & KinshipNumbers & Counting

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