Skip to content
Kotomora

労

labor, thank for, reward for, toil, trouble

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 500Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • ロウ

Kun'yomi

  • ろう.する
  • いたわ.る
  • いた.ずき
  • ねぎら
  • つか.れる
  • ねぎら.う

Meaning

労 centers on effort and its consequences: physical or mental labor, toil, and trouble, as well as the appreciation or reward given for that effort.

Most common words using 労

24 of 343
  • 労働ろうどう
    N3

    labor; labour; work

  • 苦労くろう
    N3

    trouble; hardship; difficulty; labour; labor; toil; pains

  • 疲労ひろう
    N2

    fatigue; weariness; exhaustion; tiredness

  • 労働省ろうどうしょう

    Ministry of Labour (now Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

  • 労ろう

    labor; labour; toil; trouble; pains; work; effort; striving

  • 労力ろうりょく
    N1

    labour; labor; effort; toil; trouble

  • 過労かろう
    N1

    overwork; strain

  • 就労しゅうろう

    working; being employed; being hired

  • 労災ろうさい

    work-related injury; work-related illness; work-related death; on-the-job accident

  • 労組ろうそ

    labor union; labour union; trade union

  • 勤労きんろう
    N1

    labor; labour; exertion; diligent service

  • 労働党ろうどうとう

    Labour Party; Labor Party

  • 労務ろうむ

    labor; labour; work; service

  • 労使ろうし

    labour and management; labor and management

  • 功労こうろう

    meritorious deed; services

  • 心労しんろう

    anxiety; worry; fear

  • 労連ろうれん

    labour union; labor union

  • 労るいたわる
    N1

    to pity; to sympathize with; to sympathise with; to treat with sympathy; to console; to be kind to

  • 徒労とろう

    fruitless effort; wasted effort; abortive scheme; futility

  • 労相ろうしょう

    Labor Minister

  • ご苦労様ごくろうさま
    N2

    thank you (for your hard work); I appreciate your efforts

  • 労作ろうさく

    toil; labor; labour; laborious task

  • 労働者ろうどうしゃ
    N1

    worker

  • 労働組合ろうどうくみあい
    N2

    labor union; labour union; trade union

Explore all words using 労 →

Study

Etymology

労 is the modern simplified form of 勞. The older form combines 力 (strength) with 熒 (a compound suggesting effort or exertion), conveying the idea of labor or toil. The modern form retains 力 and simplifies the upper part to ⺌ and 冖.

Meaning mnemonic

The top ⺌ and 冖 look like a heavy load pressing down, and 力 at the bottom is strength. Picture someone straining under a burden, putting in hard labor.

Reading mnemonic

For ロウ, imagine a row of workers toiling together: row -> ロウ, and their combined effort is labor.