Learn a Chinese Character - 姥

1. Character Basics

Radical: 女 (female radical)

Stroke Count: 9

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lǎo (Third tone) and mǔ (Third tone) - multiple pronunciations

3. Meaning

Grandmother; old woman; nanny; wet nurse; maternal grandmother

4. Common Words

• 外婆 (wàipó) - maternal grandmother
• 姥姥 (lǎolao) - grandmother (northern dialect)
• 姥娘 (lǎoniáng) - grandmother (southern dialect)
• 老姥 (lǎolǎo) - elderly grandmother
• 姨姥 (yílǎo) - great-aunt (mother's aunt)
• 舅姥 (jiùlǎo) - great-uncle's wife (mother's uncle's wife)
• 祖姥 (zǔlǎo) - great-grandmother
• 太姥 (tàilǎo) - great-great-grandmother

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "姥" is primarily used as a noun to refer to elderly women, especially grandmothers. It has two main pronunciations with slightly different usages:

• lǎo: Used in northern Chinese dialects to refer to grandmother, and in compound words for various elderly female relatives
• mǔ: Less common, historically used to refer to a wet nurse or nanny

Grammar Patterns:

• 单独使用: 姥 (grandmother - in certain contexts)
• 重复使用: 姥姥 (grandmother)
• 与其他亲属称谓组合: 外婆 (maternal grandmother), 姨姥 (great-aunt)
• 与年龄相关字组合: 老姥 (elderly grandmother)

6. Cultural Background

The character "姥" reflects the importance of family and respect for elders in Chinese culture. Different terms for grandmother exist across China's various dialects, showing the linguistic diversity within the country.

In northern China, "姥姥" (lǎolao) is the common term for maternal grandmother, while in southern regions, "外婆" (wàipó) is more commonly used. This linguistic difference reflects China's rich regional cultures.

Historically, the character was also used to refer to wet nurses, who played important roles in raising children in traditional Chinese families, especially among the wealthy.

The character's radical "女" (female) indicates its association with women, which is consistent with its meaning related to female relatives.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "姥" (lǎo/mǔ) consists of two parts:

• The radical "女" (female radical) on the left, indicating that the meaning is related to women
• The component "老" on the right, which provides the pronunciation "lǎo"

To remember the character, think of it as "a woman (女) who is old (老)," which relates to its meaning of grandmother or elderly woman.

Note that this character has two pronunciations: "lǎo" (more common) and "mǔ" (less common, historical).

Associate the character with family relationships, especially with your grandmother, to help with memorization.

Practice writing the character following the stroke order to help remember its structure.