老
The 老 radical
Old
Variants: 耂
Memory hook
A long-haired figure leaning on a cane — an old person. It shortens to 耂 on top of a character: 考 (to examine), 者 (one who).
The 老 radical (read lǎo) means old. The HSK 3.0 data contains 3 characters and 57 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 老 radical
Study this radical's 57 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 老 radical
3 charactersHSK 1· 2 characters
HSK 1老
old (of people)
考
to take an exam; to test
HSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2者
one who (does something); -er (agent suffix)
Vocabulary with the 老 radical
57 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 老 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (48/57 words of this radical).
old (of people)
elderly person
teacher
to take an exam; to test
exam; test
or
old age; one's later years
always; constantly
old friend; longtime friend
test candidate; examinee
author; writer
volunteer
elderly lady; old woman
old man; old fellow (familiar or colloquial)
boss; proprietor
ordinary people; common folk
to test; to put to the test; trial
one who (does something); -er (agent suffix)
reporter; journalist
to refer to, to consult
to think, to ponder
husband
wife
honest
hometown, native place
to investigate, to inspect (on site)
to think over, to consider
ancient
scholar
consumer
to assess, to examine
to care for the elderly; to provide for one's aged parents
patient (a person who is ill)
to register for an exam
fellow townsman, person from the same hometown
examination room
exam question
to retake an exam, to take a make-up exam
college entrance examination
envoy, emissary
a veteran of long-standing prestige in a field or organization
pension
nursing home
the former, the one before
the latter (person/thing)
elderly person; old gentleman/lady
spouse; one's life partner (an affectionate term used by the elderly)
age; grow old
Why learn vocabulary by the 老 radical?
The 老 radical hints at the meaning old. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 3 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 57 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.