老公 (lǎo gōng) — (colloquial) husband | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

老公 is the casual, affectionate everyday word for 'husband,' used when speaking to family or close friends. 先生 can mean husband too but sounds formal or polite, and 丈夫 is the neutral written term.

noun

(colloquial) husband

Measure word · 个

Examples

老公。
Wǒ lǎo gōng měi tiān jiē hái zi fàng xué.
My husband picks up the child from school every day.
老公？
Nǐ lǎo gōng zuò shén me gōng zuò?
What does your husband do for work?
老公。
lǎo gōng Hé wǒ yì qǐ zuò fàn.
My husband and I cook together.

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 gives the familiar form, and 公 points to the male partner, yielding husband.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

人人rénman
毛毛máohair
匕匕bǐcane

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

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

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Appears in

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