Meanings
nounlaowai (plural laowais or laowai)
plural laowais · alternative lao-wai · alternative Lao Wai
- colloquialA foreigner in mainland China or Taiwan, (particularly) a Western one.
Synonyms: white person
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA foreigner in mainland China or Taiwan, (particularly) a Western one.
Similar
Origin
- Mandarin老外
- Englishlaowai
From Mandarin 老外 (lǎowài, literally “old outside[r]”).
More words from Mandarin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
laowai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laowai
MLA
“laowai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laowai. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “laowai,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laowai.
Source: laowai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.