有劳

有勞
yǒuláo
phrase #32,477

Meanings

  1. 1 thank you for your trouble (polite, when asking a favor or after one is done)
  2. 2 much obliged; sorry to trouble you

Examples

Yǒuláo nín bǎ zhè fèn wénjiàn sòng guòqù.
May I trouble you to deliver this document.
Yǒuláo nín le, xièxie.
Sorry to trouble you, and thanks.

Tips

register
Polite/formal — almost always paired with (nín, formal 'you'): 有劳... Use it when you ask someone to do you a favor, or to acknowledge that someone has gone out of their way for you. Modern casual equivalent: 麻烦 / 谢谢. 有劳 has an old-fashioned, courteous flavor that customer service and hosts still use freely.
grammar
Structure: 有劳 (+ ) + verb phrase. Literally 'have-toil' = 'I've put you to toil'. Stand-alone 有劳 'thanks for your trouble' is a common closer after someone helps you.

Stroke Order

yǒu
láo