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撈

简 捞 · 繁 撈
Mandarin · pinyin lāo

Meanings

  1. to fish up
  2. to dredge up
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Characters in this entry

撈
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捞
lāo · scoop out of water; dredge, fish
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 撈 ↗Words written with 撈 ↗Words written with 捞 ↗

Mandarin tones

1 · lao1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

撈 · find source passages ↗ · 捞 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 12 senses · 4 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

laau1 · laau4 · lou1 · lou4

Cantonese word readings for 撈. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

  1. to dredge up; to scoop out of water; to fish for
  2. (dialectal) to grab; to take up
  3. (figurative) to gain by improper means
  4. (Eastern Min) to blanch; to scald; to cook briefly in boiling water
  5. (Northern Min) to look for; to seek

character · Etymology 2

  1. used in 撈什子／捞什子, alternative form of 勞什子 /劳什子 (láoshízi)

character · Etymology 3

  1. (Cantonese) to mix; to stir
  2. (Cantonese) to earn a living
  3. (Cantonese) to want
  4. (Cantonese) to tease

character · Etymology 4

  1. (Cantonese, derogatory) non-Cantonese Chinese; northern Chinese; Mandarin-speaking Chinese

character · Etymology 5

  1. (Hokkien, Puxian Min) to dredge up; to scoop out of water; to fish for

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack