General term for a place of confinement; often used in compounds like 牢獄 (prison) or 牢屋 (jail).
彼は牢に入れられた。
He was put in prison.
牢から脱走するのは難しい。
It is difficult to escape from jail.
In classical texts, it was used like 'firmly unmoving'.
刑務所 specifically refers to a prison as a correctional facility, whereas 牢 is a broader term for any jail or confinement.
prison; jail
jail; prison
solid; sturdy; durable
keeping in mind; taking note of; remembering
room for confining criminals or the mentally ill (Edo period)
imprisonment; being jailed
dungeon; underground prison
dungeon; underground prison
women's jail (Edo period)
Standard kanji for 'prison' and the obsolete adjective sense.
Alternate kanji form; less common than 牢.
Variant of 籠; rarely used.
The kanji 牢 originally depicts an enclosure for cattle, later extended to mean prison. The obsolete adjective sense 'firm' is derived from classical Chinese usage.
cave prison; cliffside jail
water-filled chamber (punishment)
life imprisonment
Edo-period torture combining whipping, stone placement, and shrimp-tie bondage
firm; solid; immovable