劳动改造 (láo dòng gǎi zào) — reform through labor (a penal system requiring convicted criminals to perform forced labor)

Definition

A penal system (abolished in 2013) where convicted criminals perform forced labor as part of their sentence. It is a political-historical term specific to the PRC legal system.

noun
reform through labor (a penal system requiring convicted criminals to perform forced labor)

Examples

  • 劳动改造。
    Tā zài jiān yù lǐ jiē shòu le sān nián de láo dòng gǎi zào.
    He underwent three years of reform through labor in prison.
  • 劳动改造。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le láo dòng gǎi zào zhì dù xià gè rén de mìng yùn.
    This novel depicts individual fates under the reform-through-labor system.
  • 劳动改造2013。
    láo dòng gǎi zào Zhèng cè zài 2013 nián jìn xíng le zhòng dà gǎi gé.
    The reform-through-labor policy underwent a major reform in 2013.

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.

劳动labor
劳láotoil动dòngmove
联合Side by side
改造reform
改gǎichange造zàomake
联合Side by side

劳动 points to labor, and 改造 points to reforming, giving the idea of reform by working.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì改gǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early form of 改 paired 巳 as a sound part with 攴 as a meaning part; the sound part later changed.

Open 改 →

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
辵辵chuòto walk
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屮
屮chè造zào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Its origin is unclear, but early forms of 造 include 辵 (to walk) and 口, with 屮 as a sound part, and mean go or arrive.

Open 造 →

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