láo to toil; labor; laborer

Made up of [ strength radical 19, cǎo grass; herb radical 140, cover; crown radical 14]
Made with 7 strokes.
The original pictograph was a person laboring inside under the light of many fires. The original 'fires' have become 'grass' but maintain the implication of hard work

Related characters


Also uses component: biān (side) dòng (to use) ; gōng (accomplishment) ; (coffee) ; (to experience) ; lìng (other) ; nán (male) ; qióng (exhausted) ; (revive) ; wèi (do) ; (affair)
Also uses cǎo component: cài (vegetable) cǎo (grass) ; chá (tea) ; dǒng (to understand) ; huā (flower) ; jié (joint) ; (bitter) ; lán (blue) ; mǎn (to fill) ; māo (cat) ; měng (Mongol) ; (do not) ; píng (apple) ; (grape) ; qián (front) ; ruò (to seem) ; (revive) ; táo (grapes) ; yào (medicine) ; (skill) ; yīng (flower) ; zàng (treasury) ; zhēng (to steam)
Also uses component: ài (love) měi (each) ; měng (Mongol) ; miǎn (to escape) ; nóng (to farm) ; xiě (write)

Different tone

lǎo (venerable) ; lǎo (old)

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Proverbs

能者多劳 néng zhě duō láo Busy people are busy because they are capable
徒劳无功 tú láo wú gōng Pointless effort that will achieve nothing.