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牢笼 (láo lóng) — (literal) cage, prison cell; (figurative) trap, snare, shackles (of a situation, relationship, etc.)

Definition

Literally a cage or prison cell; figuratively an invisible trap that binds people (a system, relationship, or fate). Often used for constraints of thought, freedom, or destiny, not physical confinement only.

noun
(literal) cageprison cell(figurative) trapsnareshackles (of a situation, relationship, etc.)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 牢笼。
    Tā yì zhí xiǎng yào zhèng tuō hūn yīn de láo lóng.
    He has always wanted to break free from the shackles of marriage.
  • 牢笼，。
    Zhè zhǒng zhì dù jiù xiàng wú xíng de láo lóng, shù fù zhe rén men de sī xiǎng.
    This kind of system is like an invisible cage, binding people's thoughts.
  • 牢笼。
    Xiǎo shuō zhōng de zhǔ jué zhōng yú chōng chū le mìng yùn de láo lóng.
    The protagonist in the novel finally broke out of the cage of fate.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

牢láoprison
笼lóngcage

'牢' and '笼' both mean a place of confinement, so together they give cage or trap, literal or figurative.

Characters in this word

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

  • 宀宀miánpen; animal yard
  • 牛牛niúcow

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

Open 牢 →

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 籠; 笼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𥫗Written in full as竹zhú
Sound part声符shēngfú
龍
龍lóng籠lóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 籠 is built from 竹 (bamboo) and 龍, which gives the sound. The simplified 笼 is a later shorthand.

Open 笼 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsCrime & Police

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