Definitions

luó (noun) snail; spiral shell; conch

Etymology phono-semantic

insect

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 螺 (luó) is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic radical 虫 (chóng) classifies it among insects, worms, and crawling creatures, while the phonetic component 累 (lèi) provides its pronunciation. Originally, it referred to snails, conchs, or similar mollusks with coiled shells. From this distinct spiral shape, the meaning extended to describe any object with a helical or whorled structure, such as screws, fingerprints, or winding architectural elements.

Example Sentences Hide

丝掉在地上了。

Luósī diào zài dìshàng le.

The screw fell on the ground.

他用丝刀拧丝。

Tā yòng luósīdāo nǐng luósī.

He uses a screwdriver to tighten the screw.

旋楼梯很漂亮。

Luóxuán lóutī hěn piàoliang.

The spiral staircase is very beautiful.

妈妈炒了一盘蛳。

Māma chǎo le yī pán luósī.

Mom stir-fried a plate of river snails.

母和栓要配套。

Luómǔ hé luóshuān yào pèitào.

Nuts and bolts must be matched.

这种壳有黑白条纹。

Zhè zhǒng luóké yǒu hēi bái tiáowén.

This kind of snail shell has black and white stripes.

直升机依靠旋桨起飞。

Zhíshēngjī yīkào luóxuánjiǎng qǐfēi.

Helicopters rely on propellers to take off.

工程师设计了新型旋装置。

Gōngchéngshī shèjì le xīnxíng luóxuán zhuāngzhì.

The engineer designed a new type of spiral device.