Definition
老伴儿 (lǎo bànr) is a colloquial, affectionate term for one's spouse in old age — it can mean either husband or wife. Unlike 老婆 (lǎo po), which only means 'wife', 老伴儿 is gender-neutral. It is much more personal and everyday than the formal 配偶 (pèi'ǒu 'spouse') or 夫妇 (fū fù 'married couple').
noun
(colloquial) one's elderly spouseone's husband or wife in old age
Examples
- 老伴儿。Wǒ lǎo bàn r měitiān hé wǒ yìqǐ kàn diànshìjù.My spouse watches TV dramas with me every day.
- 老伴儿,。Tā lǎo bàn r qùshì hòu, tā yí gè rén zhù le liǎng nián.After her spouse passed away, she lived alone for two years.
- 老伴儿。Shèqū lǐ yǒu hěnduō dānshēn lǎo rén xiǎng zhǎo lǎo bàn r.In the community, many elderly singles are looking for a spouse.
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