# laowai

> English word · Noun · IPA /laʊˈwaɪ/

## Definitions
1. A foreigner in mainland China or Taiwan, (particularly) a Western one.

## Etymology
From Mandarin 老外 (lǎowài, literally “old outside[r]”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/laowai