HanziGuru.羅 · luó
羅
luó[luo2]Tone 2

gauze, net, to collect

HSK 7
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罗
Guru Deep Dive

English · gauze, net, to collect

Cached lesson
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Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:8
Writing Balance Rule: The upper crown (网) should be broad and flat, sheltering the lower component (维 or similar phonetic elements) without making the character too top-heavy.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 羅 features a net over a bird/silk structure, simplified in mainland China to 罗 (combining 网 net and 夕 or a simplified phonetic).
1. Meaning

gauze or thin silk

net for catching birds or fishto collect, gather, or siftsurname Luo
Noun / VerbNeutral / Literary#textiles#gathering#nature
Sample Usage
  • 天罗地网
    tiān luó dì wǎng
    inescapable dragnet (tight net from heaven and earth)
  • 包罗万象
    bāo luó wàn xiàng
    all-embracing, covering everything
2. Sound
/[lu̯o³⁵]/Tone: 35
羅
luóluo2
++
´(35)
=luó
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
luo
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
l
Type: Alveolar Lateral
Sounds like: l sound as in 'love'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Air flows freely around both sides of tongue.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tip of the tongue touches the alveolar ridge just behind the upper front teeth.
Final Rhyme
uo
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: u-oh sound (similar to 'waw' or 'uo' in guo)
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'waw'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises like a questioning tone in English (e.g., 'Huh?').
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rising Tone 2 [luó] with Tone 4 [luò] or Tone 3 [luǒ]. Ensure the pitch clearly ends high.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises from mid to high like an inquiring 'What?' or a sharp upward sweep of the hand.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The upper crown (网) should be broad and flat, sheltering the lower component (维 or similar phonetic elements) without making the character too top-heavy.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 羅 features a net over a bird/silk structure, simplified in mainland China to 罗 (combining 网 net and 夕 or a simplified phonetic).

4. Components

Radical 网 · Net Radical (net, web, mesh)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 网 (Indicates a net or gauze fabric used for catching or sifting.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 维 (original sound: luó)

A net (网) spread out to catch or gather things (like butterflies or silk gauze).

  • 罓 Net shape at the top
  • 夕 Phonetic and structural base
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a net (网) used for catching birds, which extended to mean fine silk gauze resembling a mesh network.

Semantic Evolution: From physical bird-nets and silk gauze to abstract meanings of gathering, collecting, or encompassing everything.

  • Frequently used in classic Chinese literature to describe sheer fabrics or elaborate traps.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
la
Corresponds to the modern Vietnamese level/high tones depending on dialect context.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ラ (ra) / Kun: あみ (ami)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
라
Sound Shift Bridge: Shared East Asian cultural vocabulary root 'la/ra' derived from Middle Chinese.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a fisherman throwing a fine silk NET (网) out into the evening (夕) sky to COLLECT all the stars.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
儸
+ 亻 (person)
囉
+ 口 (mouth)
籮
+ ⺮ (bamboo)
蘿
+ 艹 (plants)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
维(wéi)
维 has a thread/silk radical on the left (纟), whereas 罗 has a net on top.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
孫悟空用金箍棒 織成了一張天[___]地網。
Clue: luó
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone with Tone 4 (luò) in common idioms like 天罗地网, or mixing up its derivatives like 锣 (gong) and 萝 (vine).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 罗, what are its primary meanings related to fabrics and gathering?
Production: How do you write the character for 'net/gauze' (luó) with the net radical on top?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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