<blockquote>
  <p>What is the difference between 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 丈夫 (zhàng fu)?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>老公 is a 昵稱 (pet name/ nickname) for husband; 丈夫 is the formal term of husband. </p>

<p>In any official document, you will only see 丈夫 and never 老公 as the term of 'husband'</p>

<p>It is similar to "dad vs. father" ; "mom vs. mother" in English</p>

<p><em>Since 老公 is a pet name, it is often used to address to the male half of a couple, doesn't matter if they are actually married or not</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-21T04:07:02.667Z
2020-04-21T04:13:47.560Z
2020-04-21T04:13:47.560Z
Tang Ho
<p>I understand that they both mean "husband" in some capacity; are there any differences in formality or connotation between the two? Thanks!</p>

<usage><meaning>
What's the difference between 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 丈夫 (zhàng fu)?
# What's the difference between 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 丈夫 (zhàng fu)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-21)

I understand that they both mean "husband" in some capacity; are there any differences in formality or connotation between the two? Thanks!

**Tags:** usage, meaning

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-21. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> What is the difference between 老公 (lǎo gōng) and 丈夫 (zhàng fu)?

老公 is a 昵稱 (pet name/ nickname) for husband; 丈夫 is the formal term of husband.

In any official document, you will only see 丈夫 and never 老公 as the term of 'husband'

It is similar to "dad vs. father" ; "mom vs. mother" in English

*Since 老公 is a pet name, it is often used to address to the male half of a couple, doesn't matter if they are actually married or not*


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