坐牢 (zuò láo) — to serve a prison sentence, to be imprisoned
Definition
坐牢 (zuò láo) is a colloquial verb-object phrase meaning 'to serve time in prison' — the everyday spoken way to say someone is incarcerated. It implies serving an actual sentence, not just being detained.
verb
to serve a prison sentenceto be imprisoned
Examples
- 。Tā yīn wèi tōu dōng xi zuò le sān nián láo.He served three years in prison for stealing.
- 。Tā cóng lái méi yǒu zuò guò láo.He has never been in prison before.
- 坐牢，。Tā zhèng zài zuò láo, bù néng jiàn jiā rén.He is currently serving a prison sentence and cannot see his family.
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