Meaning
Labor, effort, toil, or reward for one's trouble. It’s used in contexts of hard work, gratitude for effort, or fatigue.
- 労働 — labor, work
- 過労 — overwork
- 労力 — effort, exertion
- 疲労 — fatigue
- 労使 — labor and management
- 労苦 — hardship, toil
The kanji 労 is made of ⺶ (variant of 艹) and 力 (power), combining the ideas of action and fatigue. Originally associated with labor and exertion, it can also convey appreciation or sympathy for effort, as in “ご苦労様”.
彼は 毎日労働しています。
He works hard every day.
過労で 倒れた。
He collapsed from overwork.
“ロウ” is the most common reading. The kun-yomi “いたわる” (to sympathize or show concern) is rare and typically used in classical or poetic contexts.