Definitions

lou (particle) (particle indicating completion of action)
lóu (noun) subordinate in gang

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "喽", whose traditional form is "嘍", is a relatively late formation in Chinese writing, structured from the semantic component "口" (mouth) indicating its connection to speech or sound, combined with "娄" which primarily serves as a phonetic element. Its original use was largely onomatopoeic, intended to represent certain sounds or calls. Over time, its application solidified primarily in colloquial language as a sentence-final modal particle, where it serves to soften a statement or to indicate that something is obvious or already known, often carrying a tone of light emphasis or informal conclusion. This functional shift from mimicking sound to fulfilling a grammatical role in conversational nuance represents the main trajectory of its development.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们走

Wǒmen zǒu lou.

Let's go (indicating readiness or prompting action).

饭快凉,快吃吧。

Fàn kuài liáng lou, kuài chī ba.

The food is getting cold, eat up.

事情就这么定下来

Shìqíng jiù zhème dìng xiàlái lou.

So it's settled then.

你看,天阴下来,要下雨了。

Nǐ kàn, tiān yīn xiàlái lou, yào xià yǔ le.

Look, the sky has darkened, it's going to rain.

这次的挑战性可是不小

Zhè cì de tiǎozhàn xìng kěshì bù xiǎo lou.

The challenge this time is really not small, you know.

他当上领导,架子可就大

Tā dāng shang lǐngdǎo, jiàzi kě jiù dà lou.

Now that he's become the boss, his airs have really grown.

等所有报告都批完,我也该退休

Děng suǒyǒu bàogào dōu pī wán, wǒ yě gāi tuìxiū lou.

Once all the reports are approved, it'll be time for me to retire as well.

等这个项目的资金终于到位,一切才算尘埃落定

Děng zhège xiàngmù de zījīn zhōngyú dàowèi, yīqiè cái suàn chén'āi luò dìng lou.

Only when the funding for this project is finally in place will everything be truly settled.