Definition
老大 (lǎo dà) has two distinct uses: as an adjective meaning 'older, old (in age)' — it emphasizes being the eldest or advanced in years, more specific than 大 (dà) 'big/older' or 老 (lǎo) 'old'. As an adverb in informal speech, it means 'very' but with a tone of displeasure or reluctance (e.g. 老大不高兴 'very unhappy'), unlike 老是 (lǎo shì) which means 'always' for repeated annoying actions.
adjective
olderold (in age)
adverb
very (in informal speech, usually expressing displeasure or reluctance)
Examples
- ，老大。Wǒ tīng le zhè huà, xīnli lǎo dà bù gāoxìng.When I heard this, I was very unhappy.
- 老大，。Tā dōu lǎo dà niánjì le, háishì dānshēn.He's already old and still single.
- ，老大。Bié ràng tā qù, tā lǎo dà bú yuànyì lái.Don't ask him to go; he's very unwilling to come.
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