# 牢

| 牢 | U+7262, &#29282; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7262 |
| ← 牡 [U+7261] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 牣 → [U+7263] |
| 牢 | U+F946, &#63814; 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 3050$_2$, 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
### 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 |
| | 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 (lao$^2$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˊ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): nao$^2$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): láo
    (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): láo
* Cantonese (Jyutping): lou$^4$
* Gan (Wiktionary): lau$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): lau$^1$
* Eastern Min (BUC): lò̤
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lâu / tiâu / láu / lô / lô͘
    (Teochew, Peng'im): lo$^5$
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^6$lau / $^2$lau
** (Jinhua): $^2$lau
* Xiang
    (Changsha, Wiktionary): lau$^2$
    (Loudi, Wiktionary): leu$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: láo
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: láo
*** Wade–Giles: lao$^2$
*** Yale: láu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lau
*** Palladius: лао (lao)
*** Sinological IPA : /lɑʊ̯³⁵/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: nao$^2$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lao
*** Sinological IPA : /nau²¹/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: láo
*** Sinological IPA : /lau²⁴/
** (Nanjing)
*** Nanjing Pinyin: láo
*** Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): lao$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /lɔ²⁴/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: lou$^4$
*** Yale: lòuh
*** Cantonese Pinyin: lou$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: lou$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /lou̯²¹/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: lau$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /lau³⁵/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: lau$^1$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /lau¹¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: lò̤
*** Sinological IPA : /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/
* lâu - vernacular;
* tiâu/láu - vernacular (俗);
* lô/lô͘ - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit牢 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /lɑu³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /lau²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /lɑu⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /lɔ⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /lɔ⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /lau⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /lau²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /lɔ²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /lɔ⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /lɔ⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /lɔ⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /nau²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /nau³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /nao²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /lɔ³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /lɔo²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /lɔ⁵⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /lau¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /lɔ¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /lɔ³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /lɔ²³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /læ¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /lɔ²¹³/ |
| Wu | 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/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /lu²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /lou²¹/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /lau³⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /lo⁵³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /lau³³/ 名 /lau²¹/ 形 |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /lo⁵⁵/ |
| Min | 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/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /lɑu/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | láo |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | lou$^4$ |
* 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
       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] ― $^6$bau-lau$_6$ $^8$veq-faon$_5$ [Wugniu] ― holding on, not letting go
    捏牢 [Suzhounese] ― $^8$gniaq $^2$lau [Wugniu] ― kneading
       $^6$yi $^7$chiq-lau$_6$ $^6$ngu [Wugniu]
       He’s staring at me.
* a surname, Lao

#### Synonyms

* (pen): 圈 (juàn)
* (prison):
* 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):
* 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):
* 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

* 不牢 (bùláo)
* 中牢
* 久慣牢成 / 久惯牢成
* 亡羊補牢 / 亡羊补牢 (wángyángbǔláo)
* 劫牢
* 南牢
* 吃牢
* 命不牢
* 囚牢 (qiúláo)
* 地牢 (dìláo)
* 坐牢 (zuòláo)
* 堅牢 / 坚牢 (jiānláo)
* 夜役軍牢 / 夜役军牢
* 大牢 (dàláo)
* 大發牢騷 / 大发牢骚
* 太牢 (tàiláo)
* 天牢
* 套牢 (tàoláo)
* 女牢
* 少牢 (shàoláo)
* 打鳳牢龍 / 打凤牢龙
* 抓牢
* 把牢 (bǎláo)
* 押牢
* 拖牢洞
* 持牢
* 搜牢
* 提牢
* 提牢官
* 死囚牢
* 滿肚牢騷 / 满肚牢骚
* 滿腹牢騷 / 满腹牢骚
* 牛驥共牢 / 牛骥共牢
* 牢不可拔
* 牢不可破 (láobùkěpò)
* 牢九
* 牢固 (láogù)
* 牢城
* 牢子
* 牢定
* 牢愁
* 牢成
* 牢成久慣 / 牢成久惯
* 牢房 (láofáng)
* 牢拴
* 牢牢 (láoláo)
* 牢獄 / 牢狱 (láoyù)
* 牢獄之災 / 牢狱之灾 (láoyùzhīzāi)
* 牢盆
* 牢眼
* 牢穩 / 牢稳
* 牢籠 / 牢笼 (láolóng)
* 牢籠計 / 牢笼计
* 牢落
* 牢角底
* 牢記 / 牢记 (láojì)
* 牢醴
* 牢靠 (láokào)
* 牢頭 / 牢头 (láotóu)
* 牢頭禁子 / 牢头禁子
* 牢飯 / 牢饭 (láofàn)
* 牢騷 / 牢骚 (láosāo)
* 牢騷滿腹 / 牢骚满腹
* 畫地為牢 / 画地为牢
* 當牢節級 / 当牢节级
* 發牢騷 / 发牢骚 (fā láosāo)
* 皋牢
* 監牢 / 监牢 (jiānláo)
* 蒲牢 (púláo)
* 虎牢關 / 虎牢关 (Hǔláo Guān)
* 軋牢 / 轧牢
* 軍牢 / 军牢
* 軍牢快手 / 军牢快手
* 顧犬補牢 / 顾犬补牢
* 餼牢 / 饩牢

### Descendants

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

## Japanese
### Alternative forms

* 籠

### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji)
* prison
* stable, pen
* secure

#### Readings

* Go-on: ろう (rō)
* Kan-on: ろう (rō)
* 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 –)
* IPA: [ɾo̞ː]

### Noun

牢(ろう) • (rō)
* 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

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