劳改 (láo gǎi) — reform through labor (a penal sentence involving forced labor and re-education)
Definition
Short for 劳动改造, the PRC penal system of forced labor combined with political re-education, used from the 1950s until it was abolished in the 1990s. Refers to both the sentence itself and the system as a whole.
noun
reform through labor (a penal sentence involving forced labor and re-education)
Examples
- 劳改。Tā yīn wèi dào qiè bèi pàn chǔ wǔ nián láo gǎi.He was sentenced to five years of reform through labor for theft.
- 劳改2090。láo gǎi Zhì dù zài 20 shì jì 90 nián dài hòu bèi zhú bù fèi chú.The reform-through-labor system was gradually abolished after the 1990s.
- ，劳改。Xíng mǎn shì fàng hòu, tā zài yě bú yuàn tí qǐ nà jǐ nián de láo gǎi jīng lì.After his release, he never again wanted to mention those years of reform-through-labor experience.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.