劳 láo to toil; labor; laborer
Made up of [力 lì strength radical 19, 艹 cǎo grass; herb radical 140, 冖 mì cover; crown radical 14]Made with 7 strokes.
The original pictograph was a person laboring inside under the light of many fires. The original 'fires' have become 'grass' but maintain the implication of hard work
Related characters
Also uses 力 lì component: 边 biān (side) 动 dòng (to use) 功 gōng (accomplishment) 咖 kā (coffee) 历 lì (to experience) 另 lìng (other) 男 nán (male) 穷 qióng (exhausted) 苏 sū (revive) 为 wèi (do) 务 wù (affair)
Also uses 艹 cǎo component: 菜 cài (vegetable) 草 cǎo (grass) 茶 chá (tea) 懂 dǒng (to understand) 花 huā (flower) 节 jié (joint) 苦 kǔ (bitter) 蓝 lán (blue) 满 mǎn (to fill) 猫 māo (cat) 蒙 měng (Mongol) 莫 mò (do not) 苹 píng (apple) 葡 pú (grape) 前 qián (front) 若 ruò (to seem) 苏 sū (revive) 萄 táo (grapes) 药 yào (medicine) 艺 yì (skill) 英 yīng (flower) 藏 zàng (treasury) 蒸 zhēng (to steam)
Also uses 冖 mì component: 爱 ài (love) 每 měi (each) 蒙 měng (Mongol) 免 miǎn (to escape) 农 nóng (to farm) 写 xiě (write)
Different tone
老 lǎo (venerable) 耂 lǎo (old)Proverbs
能者多劳 néng zhě duō láo Busy people are busy because they are capable徒劳无功 tú láo wú gōng Pointless effort that will achieve nothing.