唠 (lào) · to chat, to gossip, to natter

Meanings

1 to chat
2 to gossip
3 to natter

Characters

唠

lào

to chat; to gossip

Examples

HSK 3

咱们找个地方坐下唠唠。

Zánmen zhǎo gè dìfang zuòxia láo lao.

Let's find somewhere to sit and have a chat.

HSK 6

奶奶喜欢和邻居唠家常。

Nǎinai xǐhuan hé línjū lào jiācháng.

Grandma likes to chat with the neighbors about everyday things.

Tips

register

唠 is distinctly northern/northeastern Chinese dialect. In standard Mandarin, 聊 is the neutral word for 'to chat.' 唠嗑 is the full northeastern expression.

mistakes

唠 has two pronunciations: lào (to chat, dialectal) and láo (as in 唠叨, to nag). Different meanings, different tones.

Components

radical

口 kǒu

mouth

Left-side mouth radical - pictograph of an open mouth. Anchors 唠 in the speech-act family alongside 说 speak, 吵 quarrel, 唱 sing, 喊 shout. To chat or natter is mouth work par excellence, so the radical does direct semantic duty here.

phonetic

劳 láo

labor

Right side 劳 supplies the sound - láo shifting to lào through the predictable tone change in this dialectal-flavored word. A faint semantic flavor leaks in: 劳 carries the sense of belaboring something, and 唠 in northern speech is the kind of mouth-labor neighbors do over a fence - talk that goes on and on.