捞

撈
lāo
劳 + 扌
HSK 2.0Level 6
HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

lāo (verb) to fish up; to dredge up

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 劳 represents the sound. Simplified form of 撈.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 劳

About

The character 捞 (simplified) and its traditional form 撈 is a phono-semantic compound denoting a manual action. The left radical 扌, a variant of 手 (hand), identifies it as a verb performed by hand. The right component 劳 (simplified) or 勞 (traditional) provides the phonetic element. Its core meaning refers to scooping or dredging something from water, or retrieving a submerged object. In abstract usage, it can describe obtaining something, often with connotations of opportunism or illicit means.

Example Sentences Hide

我从湖里捞起树叶。

Wǒ cóng hú lǐ lāo qǐ shùyè.

I scoop leaves from the lake.

妈妈用勺子捞汤里的菜。

Māma yòng sháozi lāo tāng lǐ de cài.

Mom uses a ladle to scoop vegetables from the soup.

渔民每天在海上捞鱼。

Yúmín měitiān zài hǎishàng lāo yú.

Fishermen catch fish at sea every day.

他捞到了一个好机会。

Tā lāo dàole yī gè hǎo jīhuì.

He managed to get a good opportunity.

那家公司从合同里捞了不少利润。

Nà jiā gōngsī cóng hétong lǐ lāole bù shǎo lìrùn.

That company gained a lot of profit from the contract.

我们应该从错误中捞取教训。

Wǒmen yīnggāi cóng cuòwù zhōng lāoqǔ jiàoxun.

We should learn lessons from mistakes.

这个计划让参与者捞到了实际利益。

Zhège jìhuà ràng cānyù zhě lāo dàole shíjì lìyì.

This plan allowed participants to gain actual benefits.

在市场波动时，他巧妙捞了一笔。

Zài shìchǎng bōdòng shí, tā qiǎomiào lāo le yī bǐ.

When the market fluctuated, he skillfully made a profit.

Related Characters

Component: 劳

唠 涝 崂 痨 耢 铹

Component: 扌

把 提 打 报 接 指 据 拉 持 技 找 推 投 护

Example Words

打捞 大海捞针 捕捞 捞取 捞钱 渔捞