阔佬 (kuò lǎo) — wealthy person; rich person | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial term for a wealthy person, often with a slightly casual or even sarcastic tone. More everyday than formal words like 富豪.

noun

wealthy personrich person

Measure word · 个

Examples

阔佬。
Nà ge kuò lǎo yòu mǎi le yí liàng xīn chē.
That rich guy bought another new car.
阔佬，。
Tā kàn qǐ lái xiàng gè kuò lǎo, qí shí bìng bú fù yù.
He looks like a rich person, but actually isn't wealthy.
，阔佬。
Zài zhè zuò chéng shì lǐ, kuò lǎo men jīng cháng qù gāo jí cān tīng.
In this city, wealthy people often go to high-end restaurants.

Origin

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

阔kuòwealthy

阔 means wealthy, while 佬 points to a person, so a wealthy person.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 闊; 阔 is its simplified writing.

門活闊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méngate; door

Sound part声符shēngfú

活

活huó闊kuò

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 闊 shows 門, a gate or door, with 活, which gives the sound; the simplified 阔 is a later shorthand.

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

亻老佬

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénman; person

Sound part声符shēngfú

老

老lǎo佬lǎo

Same sound today

佬 combines 亻, a person, with 老, which gives the pronunciation.

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