How to Write 唠 (láo/lào) — Meaning “To chatter / To nag”

Imagine a person’s mouth (口) working hard like a laborer (劳), talking nonstop without a break. The idea of "laboring with your mouth" helps you recall that 唠 means to chatter or nag.

Write the left radical 口 first, then the right part 劳: start with the 艹 (grass radical), then 冖 (cover), and finally 力 (power). A common mistake is forgetting the horizontal stroke inside 冖 or making the 力 stroke too short.

唠 (láo) means to chatter or nag, while 呢 (ne) is a sentence-final particle used for questions or emphasis, and 呣 (m) is an interjection like "hmm." Visually, 唠 has 劳 on the right, 呢 has 尼, and 呣 has 母.

唠 appears in words like 唠叨 (láo dāo, to nag) and 唠嗑 (lào kē, to chat casually). It is informal and often used in family or friendly settings—for example, Chinese parents are famous for their "唠叨" about homework or daily habits.

Common words containing 唠 include: 唠叨 (láo dāo) — To nag / To chatter; 唠嗑 (lào kē) — To chat / To gossip; 闲唠 (xián lào) — to chat / to gossip.