Meaning
苍老 describes the visible effects of aging, particularly referring to someone's appearance, voice, or general condition that shows they have grown old. It carries a sense of weariness or decline that comes with advanced age, often evoking a somewhat melancholic or sympathetic tone.
Usage
This term is typically used to describe elderly people's physical appearance (wrinkled skin, gray hair, stooped posture) or their voice quality (hoarse, trembling). It's more literary and formal than simply saying 老, and often appears in descriptive writing or when expressing concern about someone's deteriorating condition due to age.
Examples
- 01多年的辛劳使他的面容变得苍老。.Years of hard work have made his face look aged.
- 02她的声音听起来苍老而疲惫。.Her voice sounds aged and weary.
Characters
Common collocations
- 苍老的面容aged face
- 苍老的声音aged voice
- 显得苍老to appear aged
- 变得苍老to become aged
Antonyms
Origin
苍 originally meant dark blue or gray-green, often describing the color of the sky or vegetation, but extended to mean pale or ashen. Combined with 老 (old), it creates an image of the pallor and grayness associated with advanced age.