喽 meaning and stroke order
Used in onomatopoetic expressions
How to write 喽, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 喽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) subordinates in a gang of bandits
- (final particle equivalent to 了[le5])
- (particle calling attention to, or mildly warning of, a situation)
How 喽 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 娄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 喽
喽 is made of 口 (mouth) plus 娄 (lóu), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth making a sound like lóu, a little noise added to the end of what you say.
In everyday speech 喽 is most often read lou with a neutral tone as a sentence-final particle, similar to 了 (le) but with a lighter, more friendly or mildly warning feel. Read lóu, it appears in 喽啰 (lóuluo), meaning underlings or henchmen in a gang. Example: 吃饭喽 (chī fàn lou), Time to eat.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 喽 with 楼 (lóu, building) because they share 娄. Remember that 喽 has 口 for a spoken sound and 楼 has 木 for a wooden structure. Also, the particle is neutral tone, so do not stress it as a full second tone.
喽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 喽
How many strokes are in 喽?
喽 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 喽 mean?
喽 (lóu) means used in onomatopoetic expressions.
How do you pronounce 喽?
喽 is pronounced lóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 喽?
The radical of 喽 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 喽 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 喽?
The traditional form of 喽 is 嘍. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 喽 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 喽 and 了 at the end of a sentence?
Both can mark a change or completed action. 喽 sounds more lively, casual, or attention-calling, as in 下雨喽 (xià yǔ lou), It's raining now. In formal writing, 了 is the safer choice.
What does 喽啰 mean and is it rude?
喽啰 (lóuluo) originally meant the low-ranking members of a bandit gang. Today it describes minions or lackeys who follow a boss, so it is somewhat dismissive when used about real people.