有劳 (yǒu láo) — polite expression used to request a favor or thank someone for their trouble

Definition

A polite, set phrase used to ask a favor or thank someone for their trouble — softer and more deferential than a plain '谢谢'. Always followed by a verb (e.g. 有劳您…).

idiom
polite expression used to request a favor or thank someone for their trouble

Examples

  • 有劳。
    yǒu láo Nín bāng wǒ chá yí xià zhè ge hào mǎ.
    Could you please look up this number for me?
  • 有劳，。
    Zhè jiàn shì jiù yǒu láo nǐ le, fēi cháng gǎn xiè.
    I'll leave this matter to you — many thanks.
  • 有劳，。
    yǒu láo Nín pǎo yí tàng, zhēn shì bù hǎo yì si.
    I'm sorry to have troubled you to make a trip.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

有yǒuhave
劳láotrouble

有 means have and 劳 means trouble; the idea is having someone's trouble, hence a polite request or thanks.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 →

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