老細

See also: 老细

Chinese

Etymology 1

	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	fine; minutely; thin fine; minutely; thin; slender
trad. (老細)	老	細
simp. (老细)	老	细
alternative forms	老世 Guangfu 腦細／脑细 humorous

老 (lou⁵, “prefix for nouns with negative impressions or connotations”) + clipping of Japanese 世帯主 (“owner (of household)”), with 世 changing to 細 for a more negative connotation. ^[1] ^[2]

Pronunciation

Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): lou⁵ sai³

(Taishan, Wiktionary): lau² lhai^1-4

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: lou⁵ sai³
  - Yale: lóuh sai
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁵ sai³
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁵ sei³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯¹³ sɐi̯³³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: lau² lhai^1-4
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lau⁵⁵ ɬai³³⁻²¹/

Noun

老細

(Cantonese) boss; manager
- 1951 May 6, 《工商晚報》 [The Kung Sheung Evening News]‎^[3]:
  
  胡塗雪糕敬老細　小沈辭函沉海底 [Cantonese, trad.]
  胡涂雪糕敬老细　小沈辞函沉海底 [Cantonese, simp.]
  wu⁴ tou⁴ syut³ gou¹ ging³ lou⁵ sai³, siu² sam² ci⁴ haam⁴ cam⁴ hoi² dai² [Jyutping]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- 1952 June 30, “由巴士足球隊談到「老細」制度”, in 《大公報》 [Ta Kung Pao]‎^[4]:
  
  但是這個問題能否獲得通過巴士的「老細」的考慮，這是值得注意的。 [Cantonese, trad.]
  但是这个问题能否获得通过巴士的「老细」的考虑，这是值得注意的。 [Cantonese, simp.]
  daan⁶ si⁶ ze² go³ man⁶ tai⁴ nang⁴ fau² wok⁶ dak¹ tung¹ gwo³ baa¹ si^6-2 dik¹ “lou⁵ sai³” dik¹ haau² leoi⁶, ze² si⁶ zik⁶ dak¹ zyu³ ji³ dik¹. [Jyutping]
  But whether this problem can be considered by the "boss" of the KMB Football Team is worth paying attention to.
- 2002 December 12, Alan Mak, Felix Chong, 無間道 [Infernal Affairs], spoken by 陳永仁 [Chen Wing Yan] (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), Media Asia Entertainment Group, Basic Pictures:
  
  三年之後又三年，三年之後又三年，十年都嚟緊頭喇老細！ [Cantonese, trad.]
  三年之后又三年，三年之后又三年，十年都嚟紧头喇老细！ [Cantonese, simp.]
  saam¹ nin⁴ zi¹ hau⁶ jau⁶ saam¹ nin⁴, saam¹ nin⁴ zi¹ hau⁶ jau⁶ saam¹ nin⁴, sap⁶ nin⁴ dou¹ lei⁴ gan² tau^4-2 laa³ lou⁵ sai³! [Jyutping]
  Three years after three years, and then another three years passed. The 10th year is coming soon, chief!
(Cantonese) term of address for a customer

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 老闆 (“boss; proprietor”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		老闆
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	掌櫃的
	Taiwan	老闆, 頭家
	Harbin	掌櫃的
	Malaysia	老闆
	Singapore	老闆
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	老闆
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	老闆
Central Plains Mandarin	Xining	老闆
Central Plains Mandarin	Xuzhou	老闆兒, 老闆, 掌櫃的
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	老闆
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	掌櫃底
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	老闆兒, 老闆
	Chongqing	老闆兒
	Wuhan	老闆
	Guiyang	老闆
	Liuzhou	老闆
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	老闆
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	老闆
Cantonese	Guangzhou	事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士, 阿頭 boss
	Hong Kong	事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士, 阿頭 boss, 老頂 boss
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	事頭
	Macau	事頭, 老細
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	事頭
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	事頭
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	事頭
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	事頭
	Foshan	事頭
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	事頭
	Foshan (Shunde)	事頭
	Foshan (Sanshui)	事頭
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	老闆
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	事頭, 老細
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	事頭
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	事頭
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	事頭
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	事頭
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	事頭
	Taishan	事頭, 老細, 老闆
	Kaiping (Chikan)	事頭, 老細
	Enping (Niujiang)	事頭
	Heshan (Yayao)	老闆, 事頭
	Dongguan	事頭, 老細, 老闆, 波士
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	事頭
	Yangjiang	老闆, 事頭
	Nanning	老闆, 事頭
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	老闆, 事頭, 阿頭 boss
	Penang (Guangfu)	老細
	Singapore (Guangfu)	老細, 老闆
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	老細
Gan	Nanchang	老闆
	Lichuan	老闆
	Pingxiang	老闆
Hakka	Meixian	頭家, 老闆
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	老闆
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	事頭
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	事頭
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	老闆
	Wuhua (Huacheng)	老闆, 店家 shopkeeper
	Wuhua (Changbu)	老闆
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	老闆
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	老闆
	Jiexi	頭家
	Luhe	老闆
	Yudu	老闆
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	頭家
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	頭家
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	頭家
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	頭家
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	頭家
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	頭家
	Kuching (Hepo)	頭家
Jin	Taiyuan	老闆, 掌櫃, 掌櫃的
Jin	Xinzhou	掌櫃子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	老闆
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	老闆
Southern Min	Xiamen	頭家
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	頭家
	Quanzhou	頭家
	Jinjiang	頭家
	Yongchun	頭家
	Zhangzhou	頭家
	Zhao'an	頭家, 老闆
	Taipei	老闆, 頭家
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	頭家
	Kaohsiung	頭家
	Yilan	老闆, 頭家
	Changhua (Lukang)	頭家
	Taichung	頭家
	Tainan	老闆, 頭家
	Hsinchu	頭家
	Kinmen	頭家
	Penghu (Magong)	頭家
	Penang (Hokkien)	頭家
	Singapore (Hokkien)	頭家, 老大
	Manila (Hokkien)	頭家
	Chaozhou	頭家, 老闆
	Shantou	頭家
	Shantou (Chenghai)	頭家
	Jieyang	頭家
	Bangkok (Teochew)	頭家
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	頭家, 阿頭 boss
	Singapore (Teochew)	頭家
	Leizhou	老闆
	Wenchang	頭家
	Haikou	頭家, 老闆
	Singapore (Hainanese)	頭家
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	老闆
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	老闆
Wu	Shanghai	老闆
	Shanghai (Chongming)	老闆
	Suzhou	老闆
	Danyang	老闆
	Hangzhou	老闆
	Ningbo	老闆, 冷士 dated
	Wenzhou	老闆
	Jinhua	老闆兒
Xiang	Changsha	老闆
Xiang	Loudi	老闆

Etymology 2

		old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)	fine; minutely; thin fine; minutely; thin; slender
trad. (老細)		老	細
simp. (老细)		老	细

Pronunciation

Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): láu-sè / láu-sòe

Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: láu-sè / láu-sòe
  - Tâi-lô: láu-sè / láu-suè
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lawsex, lawsoex
  - IPA (Xiamen): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /lau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ se⁴¹/, /lau⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ sue⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/
  - IPA (Taipei): /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ se¹¹/, /lau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ sue¹¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ se²¹/, /lau⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ sue²¹/

Noun

老細

(Southern Min) A term used to refer to a familiar younger than the speaker.

References

小川尚義 (OGAWA Naoyoshi), editor (1931–1932), “老細”, in 臺日大辭典 [Taiwanese-Japanese Dictionary]‎^[5], volume 2 (overall work in Hokkien and Japanese), Taihoku: Government-General of Taiwan, →OCLC, page 939

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