<p>Here's an explanation: In the case of people with good moral standing and high reputation (德高望重), you can add 老 after their surname, this is a very respectful (很恭敬的) address.</p>

<p>Screenshot from a book on <a href="https://books.google.hu/books?id=PO1mAwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT66&amp;lpg=PT66&amp;dq=%E5%A7%93%E5%90%8E%E8%80%81%E5%AD%97&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=rN69QBfLRW&amp;sig=hu50pOR04eUt4GYZwltg6gHH18E&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=RuKHVYGvKsa07Qa0h5_wBA&amp;ved=0CDkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&amp;q=%E5%A7%93%E5%90%8E%E8%80%81%E5%AD%97&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Books</a>. The relevant, very short sentence touching your question is highlighted (sorry, not very professional, but legible). </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/SI15d.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Here's another <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:svgao1Hc0TgJ:gz.eywedu.com/21cnjy/TS013024/0013_ts013024.htm&amp;client=ubuntu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=hu&amp;strip=1&amp;vwsrc=0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a> explaining this (mentioning scientists, statesmen, old teachers as the circle to whom you can apply this): </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>对德高望重的老科学家、老政治家、老教育家、老文学家，可以在姓之后加“老”字，以表示尊重。如“郭老”、“‘钱老”、“徐老”。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-22T10:37:20.303Z
2015-06-22T10:58:18.940Z
2015-06-22T10:58:18.940Z
imrek
<ul>
<li><code>X老</code> is used to show respect to old person who usually has a high social/academic status.</li>
<li><code>老X</code> is used like <code>Mr.X</code> as a prefix to given name, which shows closeness in an informal condition.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-24T14:26:46.870Z
2015-06-24T14:26:46.870Z
Jamesits
<p>Here is an exchange I saw in a WeChat group today:</p>

<pre><code>李xx： 请大家为28号投票！
A： 谢谢您，李老！ 【抱拳】【抱拳】
B： 谢谢您，老李！ 【偷笑】
A： “李老”是尊称，“老李”是称呼！
C： 【强】
</code></pre>

<p>I'm fairly familiar with the usage 老X as a term of address. And I gather that X老 is a much more respectful term. I guess my question is, when would I ever actually use X老? I seem to recall hearing a story a long time ago about a foreigner trying to use X老, but the old man being addressed was "too young" and the effect was awkward.</p>

<p>Related questions:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/78/%E5%B0%8F%E7%8E%8B-%E5%92%8C-%E8%80%81%E7%8E%8B-how-to-determine-which-to-use">&quot;小王&quot; 和 &quot;老王&quot; how to determine which to use?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/1037/what-is-a-good-form-of-address-for-a-male-friend-who-is-too-old-to-be-%E5%B0%8F-too-you">What is a good form of address for a male friend who is too old to be 小, too young to be 老, and too humble to be called 大?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/13360/what-is-the-polite-proper-way-to-address-elderly-whom-i-am-not-familiar-with/13376#13376">What is the polite/proper way to address elderly whom I am not familiar with?</a></li>
</ul>

<usage><difference><terms-of-address>
What is the difference between 老X and X老 as a term of address?
# What is the difference between 老X and X老 as a term of address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-22)

Here is an exchange I saw in a WeChat group today:
李xx： 请大家为28号投票！
A： 谢谢您，李老！ 【抱拳】【抱拳】
B： 谢谢您，老李！ 【偷笑】
A： “李老”是尊称，“老李”是称呼！
C： 【强】

I'm fairly familiar with the usage 老X as a term of address. And I gather that X老 is a much more respectful term. I guess my question is, when would I ever actually use X老? I seem to recall hearing a story a long time ago about a foreigner trying to use X老, but the old man being addressed was "too young" and the effect was awkward.
Related questions:

"小王" 和 "老王" how to determine which to use?
What is a good form of address for a male friend who is too old to be 小, too young to be 老, and too humble to be called 大?
What is the polite/proper way to address elderly whom I am not familiar with?

**Tags:** usage, difference, terms-of-address

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-06-22. Score: 2

Here's an explanation: In the case of people with good moral standing and high reputation (德高望重), you can add 老 after their surname, this is a very respectful (很恭敬的) address.

Screenshot from a book on [Google Books](https://books.google.hu/books?id=PO1mAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT66&lpg=PT66&dq=%E5%A7%93%E5%90%8E%E8%80%81%E5%AD%97&source=bl&ots=rN69QBfLRW&sig=hu50pOR04eUt4GYZwltg6gHH18E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RuKHVYGvKsa07Qa0h5_wBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%E5%A7%93%E5%90%8E%E8%80%81%E5%AD%97&f=false). The relevant, very short sentence touching your question is highlighted (sorry, not very professional, but legible).

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/SI15d.png)

Here's another [source](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:svgao1Hc0TgJ:gz.eywedu.com/21cnjy/TS013024/0013_ts013024.htm&client=ubuntu&hl=en&gl=hu&strip=1&vwsrc=0) explaining this (mentioning scientists, statesmen, old teachers as the circle to whom you can apply this):

> 对德高望重的老科学家、老政治家、老教育家、老文学家，可以在姓之后加“老”字，以表示尊重。如“郭老”、“‘钱老”、“徐老”。


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-24. Score: 1

* `X老` is used to show respect to old person who usually has a high social/academic status.
* `老X` is used like `Mr.X` as a prefix to given name, which shows closeness in an informal condition.


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