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What is the Kanji for 'Old' and 'Aged'? | 老

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Old' and 'Aged', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Old' and 'Aged' is 老.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Old, Aged

    Reading

    kunyomi

    o

    fu

    onyomiろう

    rou

    Parts

    Old (老)Spoon

    Example Word

    老: old. The Japanese prefix '老 (ろう)' means 'old' and is used to indicate age or seniority. It is often attached to nouns to describe something or someone as being old or elderly. For example: old man「老人」(ろうじん). old age「老年」(ろうねん). This prefix is commonly used in formal or respectful contexts to refer to elderly people or things that have aged. It carries a nuance of respect and experience, especially when referring to people.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    6

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    4

    Frequency

    242

    Radical Form

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    radical

    Meaning

    Old

    Radical Form Of

    radical

    Meaning

    Spoon

Words Using

This kanji is used in 2 words:

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 3 kanji contain the part 耂 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Think, Consider

    kanji

    Meaning

    Someone

    kanji

    Meaning

    Filial piety

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 9 kanji contain the part 匕 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    North

    kanji

    Meaning

    Death

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ability

    kanji

    Meaning

    Change

    kanji

    Meaning

    Purport, Delicious

    kanji

    Meaning

    Nun, Priestess

    kanji

    Meaning

    One

    kanji

    Meaning

    Fragrance, Scent

    kanji

    Meaning

    Approximate

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 老 mean?

老 means 'Old' and 'Aged'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Fourth Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.