老ろう夫ふう婦ふ

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Meanings

1

old couple; elderly couple

Refers to a married couple who are both old. Often used in news or literary contexts to describe an aging pair.

老ろう夫ふう婦ふが公こう園えんのベンチに座すわって、静しずかに話はなしていた。
An elderly couple sat on a park bench, talking quietly.

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Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉に老ろう夫ふう婦ふが住すむan elderly couple lives in 〈place〉
この村むらには老ろう夫ふう婦ふが二人ふたりだけ住すんでいる。
Only an elderly couple lives in this village.
老ろう夫ふう婦ふが〈物もの〉を営いとなむan elderly couple runs (a shop, business, etc.)
駅えき前まえで老ろう夫ふう婦ふが小ちいさな喫きっ茶さ店てんを営いとなんでいる。
An elderly couple runs a small coffee shop in front of the station.
老ろう夫ふう婦ふを訪たずねるto visit an elderly couple
記き者しゃは山やま奥おくに住すむ老ろう夫ふう婦ふを訪たずねた。
The reporter visited an elderly couple living deep in the mountains.

Kanji

老old man, old age, grow old
夫husband, man
婦lady, woman, wife

Related words

夫ふう婦ふN3
夫婦 is the general word for a married couple of any age, while 老夫婦 specifically means an elderly couple.
熟じゅく年ねん夫ふう婦ふ
熟年夫婦 refers to a middle-aged or mature couple, while 老夫婦 implies a couple who are actually old.

Opposites

若わか夫ふう婦ふ
老夫婦 describes a married couple who are both elderly, while 若夫婦 refers to a young married couple.

Don't confuse with

老ろう人じんN3
老人 means an elderly person (individual), whereas 老夫婦 specifically refers to a married pair of elderly people.

Counted with

組くみN3
Used for a pair or group of people, especially as a set; natural when referring to a couple as one unit.

Built from

老ろう+夫ふう婦ふ

Etymology

Compound of 老 (rou, 'old') and 夫婦 (fuufu, 'married couple').