勒
Meanings · lak6
- (Cantonese)
- blackmail; extort
- poor or needy
Meanings · laak6
- to strap tightly
- to bind
- to strangle
- to tighten
- to rein in
- to halt
- to force
- to coerce
- to compel
- to command
- to engrave
- to inscribe
- to bridle
Meanings · lak6
- to strap tightly
- to bind
- to strangle
- to tighten
- to rein in
- to halt
- to force
- to coerce
- to compel
- to command
- to engrave
- to inscribe
- to bridle
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 勒 lè CC-CEDICT · Mandarin(literary) bridle; halter; headstall; to rein in; to compel; to force; (literary) to carve; to engrave; (literary) to command; to lead (an army etc); (physics) lux (abbr. for 勒克斯 lè kè sī)
- 勒 lēi CC-CEDICT · Mandarinto strap tightly; to bind
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: lei1. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 22 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
laak6 · lak6
Cantonese word readings for 勒. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- (literary) bridle (headgear for a horse)
- to rein in; to restrain
- to compel; to force; to coerce
- to halter; to headstall
- (literary) to command; to lead; to lay out (forces)
- (colloquial) to strap tightly; to bind tight; to strangle; to tighten
- to restrict; to limit
- (literary) to cut; to carve; to engrave
- to compile; to bind (to make a book)
- to write; to draw; to depict
- to extort; to blackmail
- to tantalise; to provoke
- (abbreviation, alt-of) short for 勒克斯 (lèkèsī, “lux”)
- (Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) to roll up one's sleeves or trousers
- (Xiamen Hokkien) to use one's hand to straighten up something
- (Quanzhou Hokkien) to make a pleat
- a respelling of the French patronymic le
character · Etymology 2
- (Northern, Wu) to be at; to be in
- (Northern, Wu) at; in
- (Northern, Wu) the process of; currently (used to indicate the continuous aspect)
- (Northern, Wu) -ed; used to indicate the perfective aspect
character · Etymology 3
- (Northern, Wu, alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 嘞 (“modal particle”)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack