牢骚 láosāo discontent
discontent; complaint; to complain
How to remember 牢骚: 牢 pen + 骚 to annoy = discontent.
Characters
How it is used
- Grumbling / griping - 发牢骚 (fā láosāo) to grouse, air complaints.
- Almost always in the set verb-object 发牢骚; refers to petty, venting-style complaints rather than a formal grievance.
- Slightly negative - the complainer sounds whiny; contrast 抱怨 (bàoyuàn), a more neutral 'to complain'.
Example sentences
- 停止发牢骚吧。 Tíngzhǐ fāláosāo ba.Stop grumbling.
- 汤姆老是发牢骚。 Tāngmǔ lǎoshì fāláosāo.Tom complains all the time.