HanziGuru.腊 · là
腊
là[la4]Tone 4

cured meat, 12th lunar month

HSK 7
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臘
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · cured meat, 12th lunar month

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:12
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (肉) is compressed and slightly shorter, while the right phonetic component (昔) stretches wider and taller to maintain structural equilibrium.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 臘 uses 󰀀 (jiù) on the right, which was simplified to 昔 in the modern simplified character 腊.
1. Meaning

cured or salted meat/fish prepared in winter

the 12th lunar monthancient winter sacrificial rite
NounFormalBound morpheme#food#time#tradition
Sample Usage
  • 腊肉
    làròu
    cured meat, Chinese bacon
  • 腊月
    làyuè
    the 12th lunar month
2. Sound
/[lä˥˩]/Tone: 51
腊
làla4
++
`(51)
=là
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
la
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" 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: Touch the tip of your tongue lightly against the alveolar ridge right behind your upper front teeth.
Final Rhyme
a
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ah sound as in 'father'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ah'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, identical to saying 'No!' in English with strong finality.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with Tone 2 (là -> lá, rising) or Tone 4 of similar finals like lè.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A decisive karate chop downward from high in the air to signal a sharp falling command.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (肉) is compressed and slightly shorter, while the right phonetic component (昔) stretches wider and taller to maintain structural equilibrium.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 臘 uses 󰀀 (jiù) on the right, which was simplified to 昔 in the modern simplified character 腊.

4. Components

Radical 月 · Meat Radical (when on the left, written as ⺼) (meat, flesh, body parts)

Semantic Clue (形旁): ⺼ (indicates that this refers to meat or flesh)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 昔 (original sound: xī / là)

The meat radical (⺼) on the left pairs with 'formerly/past' (昔) on the right, denoting meat preserved from the past winter season.

  • ⺼ meat semantic clue
  • 昔 phonetic and conceptual clue for 'past/winter months'
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally referred to the year-end sacrificial offering made to the gods in ancient times during the 12th lunar month, a time when meat was also cured and dried in the cold winter air.

Semantic Evolution: Over time, the sacrificial ritual meaning became secondary, while the association with cold-weather cured meats and the 12th lunar month took precedence in everyday language.

  • The 12th lunar month is traditionally called 腊月 because ancient sacrifices were held during this period.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
lạp
corresponds to entering tone / short checked tone ending in p
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ラツ (ratsu) / ロウ (rō) / Kun: ふゆまつり (fuyumatsuri)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
랍
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

In the past (昔), people hung strips of meat (⺼) outside in the freezing winter air of the 12th lunar month to cure them into delicious bacon.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
惜
xīto pity, to cherishHeart radical (忄) + 昔 = cherishing matters in your heart.
错
cuòwrong, mistakeGold radical (钅) + 昔 = a metal mistake.
借
jièto borrowPerson radical (亻) + 昔 = a person borrowing from the past.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
错(cuò)
Has the metal radical (钅) instead of the meat radical (⺼).
借(jiè)
Has the person radical (亻) instead of the meat radical (⺼).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
过年以前，家家户户都会做美味的[___]肉。
Clue: là
Common Learner Pitfall

Mistaking the right-hand component 昔 for another phonetic or confusing 腊 with similar-looking characters like 借 and 错.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 腊 mean when attached to 肉 (cured meat) or 月 (12th lunar month)?
Production: How do you write the character for winter-cured meat (là) using the meat radical and 'former' (昔)?
Real-World Video Context

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

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腊làcured meat, 12th lunar month
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