姥 (lǎo) - Maternal grandmother & old woman

姥Tone 3

lǎo ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 女

俊梁

姥 · lǎo

Maternal grandmother;

old woman;

respectful term for an elderly lady.

Maternal grandmotherold womanrespectful term for an elderly lady.

Usage highlights

Maternal grandmotherOld ladyMotherGoddess MountGrandmother's homeMaternal grandfather

Synonyms

  • 外婆— Maternal grandmother
  • 姥姥— Maternal grandmother (colloquial)
  • 老妇— Old woman

Antonyms

  • 爷— Grandfather (paternal)
  • 公— Grandfather (paternal)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My maternal grandmother (姥姥) lives in the countryside.
  • The old lady (老姥) told fascinating stories.
  • In some dialects, 姥 refers to mother-in-law (婆婆).
  • We visited the temple of the goddess (天姥) during our trip.

Collocations

  • Maternal grandmother(姥姥)
  • Old lady(老姥)
  • Mother-in-law(姥母)
  • Goddess Mount(天姥山)
  • Grandmother's home(姥家)
  • Maternal grandfather(姥爷)

Idioms

  • Dream of the Tianmu Mountain(梦游天姥吟留别)
  • The old woman's kindness(姥心仁厚)
  • Grandmother's love(姥爱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally used to refer to maternal grandmother, distinguishing from paternal grandmother (奶奶).
  • In Chinese kinship terms, 姥 specifically denotes the maternal side of the family.
  • Appears in classical poetry, most famously in Li Bai's 'Dream of the Tianmu Mountain'.

FAQ