láo

labor

Simplified form of . Depicts the hard work of sewing clothes () with only firelight (). Later the (strength, power) component was added.

Components
艹 simplified component

  Simplified component

caocǎo

  

grass

Shorthand for the (flame) component in the traditional character .

衣 iconic,remnant component

  Iconic Remnant component

  

clothes

力 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

power

Evolution

劳 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
劳 Bronze script Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Bronze script

Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
劳 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
劳 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
劳 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
劳 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

() 

láo

labor, toil, do manual work; to toil; labor; laborer; to put sb to trouble (of doing sth); meritorious deed; to console (Taiwan pr. [lào] for this sense)

Most common words with 劳
Freq.
Word
Meaning

劳动

work

效劳

to work for

to toil

劳动力

labor force

疲劳

fatigue

Component uses

Sound component in 7 characters (0 verified)