Dictionary › 劳

劳

láo

HSK 5 Character Traditional 勞

What 劳 means

1. bound formto toil; labor
2. bound formlaborer
3. bound formmeritorious deed
4. bound formfatigue
5. to put sb to the trouble (of doing sth)
6. bound formto express appreciation for sb's efforts (Taiwan pr. lào)

Other readings

劳 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• Láosurname Lao

Example sentences

• 劳驾!
  Excuse me!
• 能者多劳。
  It's only the most capable who do the work.
• 他劳无所获。
  He wasn't given any reward for his service.
• 他不爱劳动。
  He is not one for hard work.
• 劳莉会游泳。
  Laurie knows how to swim.
• 我的眼睛疲劳。
  Wǒ de yǎnjing píláo.
  My eyes are both tired.

Words starting with 劳

• 劳动láo dòngwork; toil; physical labor
• 劳驾láo jiàexcuse me
• 劳动力láo dòng lìlabor force; manpower
• 劳教láo jiàoreeducation through labor
• 劳教所láo jiào suǒcorrectional institution; labor camp
• 劳工láo gōnglabor; laborer
• 劳累láo lèitired; exhausted; worn out
• 劳动者láo dòng zhěworker; laborer
• 劳作láo zuòwork; manual labor
• 劳务láo wùservice (work done for money); services (as in "goods and services")
• 劳力láo lìlabor; able-bodied worker; laborer
• 劳动人民láo dòng rén mínworking people; the workers of Socialist theory or of the glorious Chinese past
• 劳伦斯Láo lún sīLawrence (person name)
• 劳资láo zīlabor and capital; workers and capitalists
• 劳模láo mómodel worker
• 劳动模范láo dòng mó fànmodel worker
• 劳动教养láo dòng jiào yǎngreeducation through labor
• 劳动节Láo dòng jiéInternational Labor Day (May Day)
• 劳顿láo dùn(literary) fatigued; wearied
• 劳苦láo kǔto toil; hard work
• 劳斯莱斯Láo sī Lái sīRolls-Royce
• 劳碌láo lùto work hard; to toil
• 劳动改造láo dòng gǎi zàoreeducation through labor; laogai (prison camp)
• 劳逸结合láo yì jié héto strike a balance between work and rest (idiom)

Words containing 劳

• 疲劳pí láofatigue; wearily; weariness
• 勤劳qín láohardworking; industrious; diligent
• 功劳gōng láocontribution; meritorious service; credit
• 操劳cāo láoto work hard; to look after
• 麦当劳Mài dāng láoMcDonald's (fast food company)
• 徒劳tú láofutile
• 辛劳xīn láolaborious
• 吃苦耐劳chī kǔ nài láohardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)
• 体力劳动tǐ lì láo dòngphysical labor
• 酬劳chóu láoreward
• 任劳任怨rèn láo rèn yuànto work hard without complaint (idiom)
• 效劳xiào láoto serve (in some capacity); to work for
• 脑力劳动nǎo lì láo dòngmental labor; intellectual work
• 犒劳kào láoto reward with food and drink; to feast (sb); presents of food etc made to troops
• 克劳斯Kè láo sīClaus or Klaus (name)
• 代劳dài láoto do sth in place of sb else
• 一劳永逸yī láo yǒng yìto get sth done once and for all
• 过劳guò láooverwork
• 慰劳wèi láoto show appreciation (by kind words, small gifts etc); to comfort
• 不劳而获bù láo ér huò(idiom) to reap without sowing; to get sth without working for it; to sponge off others
• 伯劳bó láoshrike
• 外劳wài láoforeign worker (abbr. for 外籍劳工
• 房劳fáng láodeficiency of kidney essence due to sexual excess (TCM)
• 有劳yǒu láo(polite) thank you for your trouble…

Characters built on 艹

These share the phonetic component 艹 (cǎo), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 草cǎograss; straw; manuscript
• 药yàoleaf of the iris; variant of 药
• 萄táoused in 葡萄
• 茅máoreeds; rushes
• 茂màoluxuriant; (chemistry) cyclopentadiene
• 藻zǎoaquatic grasses; elegant
• 苞bāobud; flower calyx; luxuriant
• 葆bǎodense foliage; to cover

Characters that look like 劳

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 受shòuto receive; to accept; to suffer
• 努nǔto exert; to strive
• 势shìpower; influence; potential
• 秀xiù(bound form) refined; elegant; graceful; beautiful; (bound form) superior; excellent…
• 肾shènkidney
• 茔yíng(literary) a grave

Sounds the same

Read láo, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 牢(literary) pen; fold (for livestock); prison; jail; firm; secure; fast
• 唠used in 唠叨
• 铹lawrencium (chemistry)
• 崂name of a mountain in Shandong
• 痨tuberculosis
• 醪wine or liquor with sediment
• 哰used in 㘓哰
• 窂variant of 牢