老实
lǎoshí · HSK 4
well-behaved
老 = old/venerable + 实 = solid/honest — old-and-solid means honest
老 carries the sense of seasoned or reliable, and 实 means solid, true, substantial. Together 老实 describes someone whose character is settled and truthful — honest, frank, well-behaved.
老 — old man 耂 + 匕 (bent figure)
Originally a pictograph of an elderly person with long hair leaning on a cane. The top 耂 depicts the hair and stooped body, while 匕 at the bottom represents the cane or a bent figure. The core meaning 'old' has remained stable since oracle bone script.