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lao

Level ≈A2 (approx.) nounverb Sino-Vietnamese Top 3,000 most common
Hanoi [laːw˧˧]Huế [laːw˧˧]Saigon [laːw˧˧] browser voice
Syllables · tones

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

lao means tuberculosis.

Chinese characters: 癆

Meanings of lao in English

Noun

  1. (pathology) tuberculosis

Noun

  1. harpoon; javelin; dart

Verb

  1. to plunge; to dart (a long object)
  2. to dash; to charge, to rush
    • xe máy lao vun vútthe motorbike rushes at high speed
  3. to put all one's energy and mind into something
    • lao vào làm việcto dive into work
    • lao đầu vào chỗ chếtto rush headlong into death

Noun

  1. jail; prison

Verb

  1. to lower the bridge girder onto the pier and abutment

Words with lao

Example sentences with lao

  • Anh ấy đã chết vì bệnh lao. He died from tuberculosis.
  • Hôm nay là Ngày Quốc tế Lao động. Today is International Workers' Day.
  • Những người lao động yêu cầu tăng lương. The workers pushed for a raise in salary.
  • Những người lao động yêu cầu tăng tiền công. The workers pushed for a raise in salary.
  • Những người lao động yêu cầu được tăng lương. The workers pushed for a raise in salary.
  • Một chiếc xe tải vừa lao đi dọc theo con đường. A truck was rushing down the road.
  • Sách vừa được cho lên kệ thì khách lao đến mua. As soon as the books were put on shelves, customers rushed to buy them.
  • Ngày Quốc tế lao động cũng là ngày lễ dành cho người lao động trên toàn thế giới. May Day is also a festival day for the workers in the world.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, lao could be written as 𨦭, 鐒. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 癆.

Frequently asked questions

What does lao mean in English?

lao (noun) means "tuberculosis".

How do you pronounce lao?

IPA: Hanoi [laːw˧˧]; Saigon [laːw˧˧]. Tones: lao — level tone (ngang).

Is lao a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. lao is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 癆.

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.