Laozi

See also: lǎozi, Lǎozǐ, and Lao Zi

English

Alternative forms

• Laosi, Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Lao Zi
• Laocius (Latinate)

Etymology

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanisation of the standard Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 老子 (“the Old One, the Venerable One”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʊdzə/, /-zi/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʊtzə/, /-ziː/
• (China) IPA^(key): /ˈlaʊ.t͡sz̩/

Proper noun

Laozi

1. (Chinese history) An honorific title for the legendary Taoist philosopher Li Er, who supposedly lived in the 6th and 5th centuries BC and (Chinese mythology) has subsequently been worshipped as a Taoist god.
2. (inexact, with 'the') Synonym of Tao Te Ching.

Synonyms

• Laojun

Translations

influential Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism

• Arabic: لَاو تْسِي (lāw tsī), لَاو تْزِه (lāw tzih)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 老子 (lou⁵ zi²)

  Eastern Min: 老子 (Lō̤-cṳ̄)

  Hakka: 老子 (Ló-chṳ́)

  Hokkien: 老子 (Ló-chú, Nó͘-chú)

  Mandarin: 老子 (zh) (Lǎozǐ)

• Czech: Lao-c' m
• Dutch: Laozi m
• Esperanto: Laocio
• Finnish: Laotse
• French: Lao Tseu (fr) m, Laozi m
• German: Laozi m
• Greek: Λάο Τσε m (Láo Tse)
• Hungarian: Lao-ce
• Japanese: 老子 (ろうし, Rōshi)
• Korean: 노자(老子) (ko) (Noja), 로자 (Roja) (North Korea)
• Marathi: लाओजी m (lāojī)
• Portuguese: Lao Zi m
• Russian: Ла́оцзы m (Láoczy), Ла́о-цзы m (Láo-czy)
• Spanish: Lao-Tsé m, Laozi m, Laocio m
• Thai: เล่าจื๊อ (lâo-jéu)
• Tibetan: ལོའོ་ཙེ། (lo'o tse)
• Uyghur: لاۋزى (lawzi)
• Vietnamese: Lão Tử (老子)

Tao Te Ching — see Tao Te Ching

See also

• a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Anagrams

• Lazio, Zialo, Ziola

Spanish

Proper noun

Laozi m

1. Alternative form of Lao-Tsé