牢

The Chinese character 牢 (láo) is composed of two parts: the radical 广 (guǎng), which means "enclosure" or "prison", and the phonetic component 老 (lǎo), which means "old" or "firm". The character 牢 originally meant "a strong enclosure or prison", but over time it has come to mean "firm", "strong", or "secure".The character 牢 is often used in compound words to express the idea of firmness or security. For example, the word 牢固 (láogù) means "firm" or "solid", while the word 牢靠 (láokào) means "reliable" or "dependable". The character 牢 can also be used to express the idea of imprisonment or confinement. For example, the word 牢房 (láofáng) means "prison cell", while the word 牢狱 (láoyù) means "prison".The character 牢 has a long history in the Chinese language. It is one of the oldest characters in the Chinese script, and it has been used in Chinese literature for centuries. The character 牢 is also used in other languages, such as Japanese and Korean.