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老太太 (lǎo tài tai) — elderly lady (respectful term); one's mother or mother-in-law (colloquial)

Definition

Respectful everyday term for an elderly woman. More specific than 老人 ('elderly person') and softer than 大妈, which can sound like addressing a stranger. Also used colloquially for one's own mother or mother-in-law.

noun
elderly lady (respectful term)one's mother or mother-in-law (colloquial)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 老太太。
    Nà wèi lǎo tài tai shì tuì xiū jiào shī.
    That elderly lady is a retired teacher.
  • 老太太。
    Wǒ jiā de lǎo tài tai jīn nián bā shí suì le.
    The elderly lady in my family is eighty years old this year.
  • 老太太。
    Xiǎo qū lǐ de lǎo tài tai men jīng cháng yì qǐ liáo tiān.
    The elderly ladies in the neighborhood often chat 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lǎo
太太lady
太tài太tài

The 老 adds a respectful, familiar sense to 太太, which means lady or wife.

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Family & KinshipLife Stages & Age

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