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老百姓 (lǎo bǎi xìng) — ordinary people; common people

Definition

Colloquial 'ordinary people' — the everyday word, less formal than the written 民众 ('the populace / the masses'). Use 老百姓 in speech and journalism, 民众 in official or formal writing.

noun
ordinary peoplecommon people
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 老百姓。
    lǎo bǎi xìng Guān xīn de shì hěn duō.
    Ordinary people care about many things.
  • 老百姓。
    Duō tīng tīng lǎo bǎi xìng de yì jiàn hěn zhòng yào.
    It is very important to listen more to ordinary people's opinions.
  • 老百姓。
    Zhè xiē zhèng cè néng gǎi shàn lǎo bǎi xìng de shēng huó.
    These policies can improve ordinary people's lives.

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lǎoprefix
百姓common people
百bǎihundred姓xìngsurname
偏正Modifier + head

百姓, literally hundred surnames, means common people, and 老 gives the familiar everyday form.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

Open 百 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚwoman; female
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng姓xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

姓 combines 女 (woman) with 生, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 姓 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5People (General)

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