Comparing "jiu" and "lao"

Both 旧 (jiù) and 老 (lǎo) mean “old”.

	旧 (jiù)	老 (lǎo)
Meaning	worn out	aged, long period of existence, experienced，habitual manner or place
Part of Speech	adjective	adjective
Formality	formal and informal	formal and informal

Differences

Common Phrases

These phrases work ONLY with 旧（jiù）：

• ～衣服
• ～东西
• ～电视
• ～电脑
• ～手机
• ～家具
• ～自行车

These phrases work ONLY with 老（lǎo）：

• ～人
• ～树
• ～朋友
• ～同事
• ～样子
• ～地方

Example Sentences

In the following sentences, ONLY 旧（jiù）can be used:

In the following sentences, ONLY 老（lǎo）can be used: