Meaning and Usage
"老人" (ろうじん) refers to an old person or the elderly. It is a neutral term commonly used in everyday conversation and formal contexts to describe senior citizens.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "老人" in contexts related to social welfare, healthcare, and family discussions. For example, "老人ホーム" means nursing home, and "老人福祉" refers to welfare for the elderly.
Collocations and Patterns
- 老人ホーム: nursing home, a place where elderly people live and receive care.
- 老人会: an association or club for elderly people, often for social activities.
- 老人医療: medical care for the elderly.
Register and Nuance
"老人" is polite and neutral but can sometimes sound a bit formal or clinical depending on the context. In casual speech, people might use "お年寄り" (おとしより) as a softer or more respectful term.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "老人" with "老後" (ろうご), which means "old age" as a period of life, not a person. Remember, "老人" refers to a person, while "老後" refers to the time after retirement or old age.