老夫

Chinese

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	husband; man
trad. (老夫)		老	夫
simp. #(老夫)		老	夫

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lǎofū

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˇ ㄈㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁵ fu¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lāu-hu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lǎofū
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˇ ㄈㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lǎofu
    • Wade–Giles: lao³-fu¹
    • Yale: lǎu-fū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laofu
    • Palladius: лаофу (laofu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lou⁵ fu¹
    • Yale: lóuh fū
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ fu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ fu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ fuː⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lāu-hu
    • Tâi-lô: lāu-hu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lauxhw
    • IPA (Xiamen): /lau²²⁻²¹ hu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /lau⁴¹⁻²² hu³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau²²⁻²¹ hu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lau³³⁻¹¹ hu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lau³³⁻²¹ hu⁴⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: lawX pju

Rime
Character	老	夫
Reading #	1/1	2/2
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	豪 (89)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	盧晧切	甫無切
Baxter	lawX	pju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɑuX/	/pɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑuX/	/pio/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑuX/	/pio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lawX/	/puə̆/
Li Rong	/lɑuX/	/pio/
Wang Li	/lɑuX/	/pĭu/
Bernard Karlgren	/lɑuX/	/pi̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǎo	fū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lou5	fu1

Pronoun

老夫

1. (archaic) I; me

   • 老夫聊發少年狂。 [MSC, trad.]
     老夫聊发少年狂。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 蘇軾 (Su Shi), 《江城子·密州出獵》 (to the tune of "River Town" - "Hunting in Mi Province") [late 11th century]. Translation by Qian Jia

     Lǎofū liáo fā shàonián kuáng. [Pinyin]

     I take on a young man’s arrogance for a moment.

Usage notes

Used in ancient times as a form of self-address by elderly males.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
老	夫
ろう Grade: 4	ふ Grade: 4
on’yomi

Noun

老(ろう)夫(ふ) • (rōfu) 

1. an old man

See also

• 老(ろう)夫(ふう)婦(ふ) (rōfūfu)