发牢骚 (fā láo sāo) — to complain, to grumble, to grouse

Definition

A colloquial phrase for grumbling or whining, often at length and in a way others find annoying. Takes a duration object like 一通.

verb

to complainto grumbleto grouse

发牢骚，。
Tā fā le yì tōng fā láo sāo, rán hòu cái qù gōng zuò.
He let out a string of complaints before finally going to work.
发牢骚，。
Bié zài zhè r fā láo sāo le, kuài zuò zhèng shì ba.
Stop complaining here and get to work.
发牢骚，。
Tā zǒng ài zài tóng shì miàn qián fā láo sāo, dà jiā dōu bù xǐ huan tā.
He always complains in front of colleagues, and nobody likes him.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fāsend out

牢骚complaints

发 means to send out, and 牢骚 names complaints; the whole image is sending out grievances.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

宀牛牢

牢 places 牛, a cow, under 宀, a pen or animal yard.

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 騷; 骚 is its simplified writing.

馬蚤騷

Meaning part形符xíngfú

馬馬mǎhorse

Sound part声符shēngfú

蚤

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 騷 pairs 馬 (horse) with 蚤 as a sound component; the simplified 骚 is a shorthand.

Appears in