牢

牢	U+7262, 牢 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7262

牢	U+F946, 牢 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F946

← 聾
[U+F945]

CJK Compatibility Ideographs

磊 →
[U+F947]

Translingual

Han character

牢 (Kangxi radical 93, 牛+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 十竹手 (JHQ), four-corner 3050₂, composition ⿱宀牛)

Derived characters

𠈭哰𢚄𫰴 (⿰女牢) 㟉𤉍浶𢭂𣒲𭷡 (⿰牜牢) 𣇟𥒪𦰤𥭲𦕵䜮𨦭𨌚𪁔 (𩧷) 𤚧𫳵 (⿰牢何) 𬁖 (⿰星牢) 𣋀𡫡

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 698, character 1
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 19934
Dae Jaweon: page 1110, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 1802, character 6
Unihan data for U+7262

Unihan data for U+F946

Chinese

simp. and trad.		牢

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 牢
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (牢) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
牢	*ruː
窂	*ruː
哰	*ruː

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 宀 (“pen; animal yard”) + 牛 (“cow”)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): láo (lao²)

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˊ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nao²
Cantonese (Jyutping): lou⁴
Jin (Wiktionary): lau¹
Eastern Min (BUC): lò̤
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): lâu / tiâu / láu / lô / lô͘

(Teochew, Peng'im): lo⁵
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶lau / ²lau
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): lau²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: láo
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: láo
  - Wade–Giles: lao²
  - Yale: láu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lau
  - Palladius: лао (lao)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: nao²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lao
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nau²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: lou⁴
  - Yale: lòuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: lou⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: lou⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lou̯²¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: lau¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /lau¹¹/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: lò̤
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃o⁵³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lâu
  - Tâi-lô: lâu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: laau
  - IPA (Xiamen): /lau²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /lau¹³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiâu
  - Tâi-lô: tiâu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: diaau
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiau¹³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiau²³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Singapore): /tiau²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: láu
  - Tâi-lô: láu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: lao
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /lau⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lô
  - Tâi-lô: lô
  - Phofsit Daibuun: looi
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /lo¹³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɤ²³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei): /lo²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lô͘
  - Tâi-lô: lôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: loo
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /lɔ²⁴/

Note:

lâu - vernacular;
tiâu/láu - vernacular (俗);
lô/lô͘ - literary.

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: lo⁵
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lô
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /lo⁵⁵/

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶lau
  - MiniDict: lau^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³lau
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /lɔ²³/
- (Northern: Suzhou, Hangzhou)
  - Wugniu: ²lau
  - MiniDict: lau^平
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /læ²²³/
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /lɔ²³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: lau²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɒu̯¹³/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 牢
Mandarin	Beijing	/lɑu³⁵/
	Harbin	/lau²⁴/
	Tianjin	/lɑu⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/lɔ⁴²/
	Qingdao	/lɔ⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/lau⁴²/
	Xi'an	/lau²⁴/
	Xining	/lɔ²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/lɔ⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/lɔ⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/lɔ⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/nau²¹³/
	Chengdu	/nau³¹/
	Guiyang	/nao²¹/
	Kunming	/lɔ³¹/
	Nanjing	/lɔo²⁴/
	Hefei	/lɔ⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/lau¹¹/
	Pingyao	/lɔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/lɔ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/lɔ²³/
	Suzhou	/læ¹³/
	Hangzhou	/lɔ²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/lɜ³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/lɔ⁴⁴/
Hui	Tunxi	/lə⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/lau¹³/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/naɯ¹²/
Gan	Nanchang	/lɑu⁴⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/lau¹¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/lou²¹/
	Nanning	/lu²¹/
	Hong Kong	/lou²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/lau³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/lo⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/lau³³/ 名 /lau²¹/ 形
	Shantou (Teochew)	/lo⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/lau³¹/

Middle Chinese: law

Rime
Character	牢
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	豪 (89)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	魯刀切
Baxter	law
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɑu/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑu/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/law/
Li Rong	/lɑu/
Wang Li	/lɑu/
Bernard Karlgren	/lɑu/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	láo
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lou⁴

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*ruː/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	牢
Reading #	1/1
No.	7644
Phonetic component	牢
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	勞
Old Chinese	/*ruː/

Definitions

牢

pen; enclosure
亡羊補牢，猶未遲也。 [MSC, trad.]
亡羊补牢，犹未迟也。 [MSC, simp.]
Wáng yáng bǔ láo, yóu wèi chí yě. [Pinyin]
Repairing a sheep pen only after a sheep is lost is not considered tardy.
prison; jail
監牢／监牢 ― jiānláo ― prison
firm; fast; durable
牢固 ― láogù ― firm; durable
dependable; reliable
animal used for sacrificing
太牢 ― tàiláo ― animal used for sacrificing
with grievance and toil
牢騷／牢骚 ― láosāo ― to be discontented
(Northern Wu) indicates continuous aspect
抱牢勿放 [Shanghainese] ― ⁶bau-lau₆ ⁸veq-faon₅ [Wugniu] ― holding on, not letting go

捏牢 [Suzhounese] ― ⁸gniaq ²lau [Wugniu] ― kneading

伊吃牢我。 [Shanghainese, trad. and simp.]
⁶yi ⁷chiq-lau₆ ⁶ngu [Wugniu]
He’s staring at me.
a surname: Lao

Synonyms

(pen): 圈 (juàn)
(prison):

edit

囹圄 (língyǔ) (literary)
大牢 (dàláo) (archaic)
清室 (qīngshì) (archaic)
牢房 (láofáng)
牢獄／牢狱 (láoyù)
班房 (bānfáng) (colloquial)
監房／监房 (jiānfáng)
監牢／监牢 (jiānláo)
監獄／监狱 (jiānyù)
鐵屋／铁屋 (tiěwū) (literary, figurative)

(firm):

edit

堅固／坚固 (jiāngù)
堅實／坚实 (jiānshí)
堅硬／坚硬 (jiānyìng)
扎實
深厚 (shēnhòu) (figurative, of foundations)
牢固 (láogù)
牢牢 (láoláo)
牢靠 (láokào)
瓷 (cí)
穩固／稳固 (wěngù)
結實／结实
緊實／紧实 (jǐnshí)
鞏／巩 (gǒng) (literary, or in compounds)
鞏固／巩固 (gǒnggù)

(dependable):

edit

信實／信实 (xìnshí)
保險／保险 (bǎoxiǎn)
停 (tíng) (literary, or in compounds)
可恃 (kěshì) (literary)
可靠 (kěkào)
把牢 (bǎláo) (regional, chiefly in the negative)
把穩／把稳 (bǎwěn) (regional)
牢牢 (láoláo)
牢靠 (láokào)
穩妥／稳妥 (wěntuǒ)
穩當／稳当
穩陣／稳阵 (wan2 zan6) (Cantonese)

(indicates continuous aspect): (Mandarin, Jin) 著／着 (zhe)

Compounds

Descendants

→ Manchu: ᠯᠣᠣ (loo)
- → Solon: lō
→ Zhuang: lauz
→ Vietnamese: rào

Japanese

Alternative forms

籠

Kanji

牢

(Hyōgai kanji)

Readings

Go-on: ろう (rō)^{←らう (rau, historical)}
Kan-on: ろう (rō)^{←らう (rau, historical)}
Kun: ひとや (hitoya, 牢)、かたい (katai, 牢い)

Compounds

牢(ろう)獄(ごく) (rōgoku)
牢(ろう)屋(や) (rōya)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
牢
ろう Hyōgai
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 牢 (MC law).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ろー [róꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [ɾo̞ː]

Noun

牢(ろう) • (rō) ^{←らう (rau)^?}

prison
Synonyms: 監獄 (kangoku), 牢屋 (rōya), 牢獄 (rōgoku)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

牢 • (roe, noe, ro, no) (hangeul 뢰, 뇌, 로, 노, revised roe, noe, ro, no, McCune–Reischauer roe, noe, ro, no, Yale loy, noy, lo, no)

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Okinawan

Kanji

牢

(Hyōgai kanji)

Compounds

牢(るー)屋(や) (rūya, “prison”)

Noun

牢(るー) (rū)

prison
Synonyms: 監獄 (かんぐく, kanguku), 牢屋 (るーや, rūya)

References

Kokuritsu Kokugo Kenkyūjo (国立国語研究所) (1963) 沖縄語辞典 (Okinawa-go Jiten) [Dictionary of the Okinawan Language] (in Japanese), Tokyo (東京): Okurashō Insatsu Kyoku (財務省印刷局)

Vietnamese

Han character

牢: Hán Nôm readings: lao, lào, sao, sau

chữ Hán form of lao (“prison”).
Nôm form of lao (“javelin, harpoon”).
Nôm form of Lào (“Laos”).
Nôm form of rao (“to announce”).
Nôm form of sao (“why, how”).
Nôm form of sao (“star”).
Nôm form of sau (“after”).
Nôm form of trau (“to polish”).

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-2] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[1]

[2]