廣州話詞典（第2版）: 5281CantonCharacter
01
年纪大。
02
（ 秤） 大
Examples
呢把秤好～，人哋一斤佢至得九两。
这杆秤大，人家一斤它才九两
03
死〔婉辞〕。
老
lou5included in 6 dictionaries
lau2included in 1 dictionaries
lou5
· included in 6 dictionaries粵典 (words.hk)Hong KongCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
02
長期 (of long standing)
Examples
03
煮過籠，令到啲嘢食冇晒水份，好硬好乾 (loss of tenderness due to overripeness or overcooking)
Examples
啲菜煮到老晒！
di1 coi3 zyu2 dou3 lou5 saai3!
The vegetables were overcooked!
04
功能因日久而衰退 (to lose function due to wear and tear)
Examples
粵典 (words.hk)Hong KongCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
01
加喺姓氏前面或後面表示親切、熟悉或者尊敬。加咗「老」喺前面之後，姓氏最尾一個字如果係唔係第一聲，要讀第二聲。所以「周 zau1」繼續係「老周 lou5 zau1」，但係「黃 wong4」「麥 mak6」就會變「老黃 lou5 wong2」「老麥 lou5 mak2」。 (used to indicate affection, familarity or seniority before or after the surname of a person; after the prefix "老", if the last syllable of the surname is not Tone 1, it will become Tone 2. For example, "周 zau1" will become "老周 lou5 zau1" (i.e. no change), but "黃 wong4" and "麥 mak6" become "老黃 lou5 wong2" and "老麥 lou5 mak2" respectively.)
詞綴Examples
方老
fong1 lou5
Old Fong
02
表示親切嘅叫法 (used to indicate affection)
Examples
03
喺通俗嘅簡稱前加「老」 (used as colloquial shorthand)
Examples
05
經驗、資歷豐富 (experienced; senior)
Examples
裁縫老師傅
coi4 fung2 lou5 si1 fu2
experienced tailor
06
冇詞彙意義嘅前綴 (a prefix without lexical meaning)
Examples
粵典 (words.hk)Hong KongCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
年紀大或者資歷深嘅人 (senior person (in age or experience))
語素Examples
維基辭典YueCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
01
old; aged; senior; elderly
Examples
老樹
old tree
老婦人
old woman
人老了記性就差了。
One's memory worsens when age increases.
老布什
Bush Sr. (George H. W. Bush)
02
old (as opposed to new); of long standing
Examples
老歌
old song
老朋友
old friend
03
outdated; old-fashioned
04
original; former
Examples
老地方
usual place
老本行
original profession
05
the elderly; one's elders
Examples
敬老
to respect the elderly
老吾老，以及人之老。
Respect my elders, and then others' elders.
06
Used after the surname of an old person to address a venerable old person
Examples
王老
revered old Wang
07
experienced
Examples
老手
an old hand
老兵
veteran
樊遲請學稼，子曰：「吾不如老農。」
Fan Chi asked (Confucius) to teach him husbandry. The Master said, "I'm nowhere as good as an experienced farmhand."
08
to respect (the elderly, one's elders)
Examples
老吾老，以及人之老。
Respect my elders, and then others' elders.
09
overcooked; tough; stringy; hard
Examples
牛排太老了，我咬不動它。
The steak was so tough I couldn't eat it.
這雞蛋煮老了，你沒掌握好火候。
This egg is hard; you didn't time it properly.
10
stale; not fresh
11
always; all the time
Examples
你別老這樣！
Stop being always like this!
12
very; quite
Examples
老早
very early
他人老好了。
He is such a nice person! [colloquial, somewhat regional]
看到儂真個老開心個。
I am really happy to see you.
13
to die; to pass away (usually with 了 (le) or 掉 (diào))
Examples
她教給我的道理還很多，例如說人死了，不該說死掉，必須說「老掉了」。
She's taught me many more such lessons, for example, when someone dies, one ought not speak of their "death", but rather their "passing".
等我老勒仔，墳做勒鄉下頭去。
When I die I want to have my grave in the countryside.
14
Used before surnames to refer to heads or elder members of families.
Examples
老張馬上來了，我得趕緊收拾一下屋子。
Old Zhang is going to be here any minute. I need to hurry up and straighten the room up a bit.
15
Used by analogy in several other relationship terms.
Examples
老師
teacher
老婆
wifey
老公
hubby
16
Prefix for animals or people considered senior, fierce, and often awe-inspiring.
Examples
老鷹
eagle
老虎
tiger
老鼠
mouse, rat; (obsolete) bat
老狼
(rare) elder and experienced wolf
老貓
(rare) elder (potentially annoying) cat
老狐狸
(surviving usage) elder, cunning and experienced fox
老傢夥
老東西
老雜碎
17
Prefix for nouns with negative impressions or connotations.
Examples
老強
rape
老作
made-up
發老脾
to get angry
老解
People's Liberation Army
18
Prefix for nouns to express familiarity.
Examples
老尖
Tsim Sha Tsui
老銅
Causeway Bay
19
Used before nouns, especially names of ethnicities, places and countries, to form nouns.
Examples
老外
foreigner; (pejorative) layman, one who lacks knowledge of a subject
老美
Yank
老表
a friend (direct speech, may be intimate or offensive depending on provinces)
老毛子
(pejorative) Russian person
老蒙古
(pejorative) Mongols
老北京
indigenous Beijing person
老山東
indigenous Shandong person
老西兒
(affectionate) Shanxi person
老回回
Hui person (affectionate in some cases, pejorative in other cases, never neutral, depends on the region, speaker, listener, situation and speaking mood)
20
short for 老子 (Lǎozǐ, “Laozi; Lao Tzu”)
21
short for 老撾／老挝 (Lǎowō, “Laos”)
粵語辭源: 322_8CantonCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
01
年紀大。
02
（秤）大。
03
死（婉辭）。（饒秉才等：2020：260）
References:
- 《鄭風·擊鼓》：執子之手，與子偕～。（《毛詩》卷二葉八）
廣州方言詞典: 5879CantonCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
01
年老
Examples
佢好～下
他挺老的
～人
～牛
～貓
～樹
02
老年人
Examples
一家～少
～～嫩嫩
03
很久以前就存在的，舊的，原來的
Examples
～朋友
～同學
～屋
～脾氣
～字號
～主顧
～腦筋
～地址
～習慣
～招牌
04
（菜類）長得過了適口的時期，（食物）煮得過了火候
Examples
啲菜心～過頭，唔食得咯
炒牛肉片唔好炒得咁～
05
對某些方面富有經驗，老練
Examples
～手
～到
～茶骨
06
婉辭。指老人去世（必帶“咗”）
Examples
佢阿婆～咗咯
07
得，極
Examples
～早
～大
08
前綴，用於稱人、排行次序、某些動物、物品等
Examples
～張
～二
～虎
～荷
現代粵語詞典: 10666CantonCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5Original phonetic: lou4
01
年纪大
Examples
～人
～牛
佢好～喇。
他年纪很大了
02
（秤）大
Examples
好多人卖嘢都中意拿把～秤。
很多人卖东西时都喜欢用大秤
03
老年人
Examples
父～
养～
一家～少
刘～。
04
很久以前存在的；原来的；旧的
Examples
古～
～屋
～区
～字号
～友
～家
～路
～毛病
～式
～朽。
05
有经验的；老练的
Examples
～手
～成
～茶骨。
06
（蔬菜）长得过了适口的时期；不嫩
Examples
凉瓜～喇
苦瓜长过了
菜心～过头。
07
食物煮过了火候
Examples
鸡蛋煮～咗
肉片炒得太～。
08
（老人）去世了
Examples
隔离～咗个人。
隔壁有老人去世了
09
用于称人、排行次序、动物名
Examples
～师
～板
～王
～二
～虎
～鼠。
10
某些物质变质
Examples
～化。
廣州話詞典（第2版）: 5281CantonCharacter
Jyutping:
lou5
01
年纪大。
02
（ 秤） 大
Examples
呢把秤好～，人哋一斤佢至得九两。
这杆秤大，人家一斤它才九两
03
死〔婉辞〕。