Laowai is a term in Mandarin Chinese, which roughly translates into "foreigner".

The term is supposed not to draw in rolling eyes of discontent from foreigners in China, however, some foreigners have expressed different opinions at that. One school is "in love" with the term laowai, while another school professes to detest it.

The "lao" in "Laowai" means "old", and China has a tradition of respect for the elderly. In this seense, adding the lao to laowai is actually supposed to show respect for the foreigner, regardless of age.

Contents

1 Laowais and the Media 2 Other uses of Laowai 3 A Neutral Term? 4 External Link

Laowais and the Media

Chinese media usually treats laowais well, if anything, with a slight bit of fascination and curiousity. That being said, there are noticeable exceptions. Some media may present articles which do not place them in a positive light (e.g. laowais and traffic accidents, laowais and fights) and this can easily bend the image of laowais, be they expats or foreign visitors. However, it is important to note that these media may not be anti-laowai. As a result, those reading such websites get the impression that laowais are unruly, which often is not the case.

Other uses of Laowai

Laowai can also be used by Chinese themselves, and in this usage it infers to a person who does not understand much about an industry or a certain topic. For Chinese abroad, laowai can, at times, also be invoked, especially if the person's behaviour is akin to that of a "banana".

A Neutral Term?

While accepted by most people that laowai remains a neutral to even slightly polite term for foreigners in China, some people raise their objections. In particular, people from the West may or may not raise objections to the "lao" (old) part, but this can be overcome by understanding that the Chinese respect the old, and that in China, being old is not necessarily a bad thing.

External Link

Laowai.com