cat1 lou5 baat3 sap6七老八十
Definition
Of advanced age; in one's seventies or eighties.
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe someone who is quite elderly, often implying they are at an age where they should be resting or taking it easy. While the numbers seven and eight are literal, the phrase is used figuratively to denote the state of being advanced in years rather than a specific age bracket. It carries a slightly informal tone and is frequently used to contrast someone's actual behavior with what one might expect from an elderly person.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe someone who is merely middle-aged, as it specifically refers to the elderly. It can sound slightly disrespectful or blunt if used to describe a specific person to their face, so it is safer to use when talking about someone in the third person or when discussing the concept of old age in general.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
