牢狱

牢獄

láoyù

noun #10,506

Meanings

1 prison
2 jail

Characters

pen; prison; firm

prison; lawsuit

Examples

HSK 6

牢狱之灾改变了他的一生。

Láoyù zhī zāi gǎibiàn le tā de yìshēng.

The ordeal of imprisonment changed his entire life.

HSK 7-9

他因犯罪而身陷牢狱。

Tā yīn fànzuì ér shēn xiàn láoyù.

He ended up in prison because of his crimes.

Tips

register

牢狱 is literary/formal. In daily speech, 监狱 (jiānyù) is the standard word for prison. 牢狱 often appears in set phrases like 牢狱之灾 (calamity of imprisonment).

Stroke Order

牢 láo

狱 yù