TongTong
Sign in

劳教所 (láo jiào suǒ) — reeducation-through-labor camp (historical institution in China, abolished 2013)

Definition

劳教所 (láojiàosuǒ) is the historical Chinese 'reeducation-through-labor camp' (abolished 2013). A 文化 background term — learners will meet it in history/current-events reading, not daily use.

noun
reeducation-through-labor camp (historical institution in China, abolished 2013)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 劳教所。
    Tā céng jīng zài láo jiào suǒ dài le liǎng nián.
    He once spent two years in a reeducation-through-labor camp.
  • 2013，劳教所。
    2013 Nián, zhōng guó zhèng shì fèi chú le láo jiào suǒ zhì dù.
    In 2013, China officially abolished the reeducation-through-labor system.
  • ，劳教所。
    Nà duàn lì shǐ zhōng, hěn duō rén bèi sòng jìn le láo jiào suǒ.
    In that period of history, many people were sent to reeducation camps.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

劳教labor and education
劳láolabor教jiàoeducation
联合Coordinate
所suǒplace

劳教 names labor and education, and 所 is the place where that happens.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勞; 劳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lì
Sound part声符shēngfú
𬡤
𬡤𬡤勞láo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 勞 uses 力 for the meaning and 𬡤 for the sound; the simplified 劳 is a later shortened shape.

Open 劳 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.