俘虏

• Pinyin: fú lǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 俘 = 亻 + 孚 (war captive); 虏 = 虍 + 力 + 口 (captive, slave)

Meaning

Prisoner of war; captive; a person taken prisoner, especially in military conflict.

Primarily used in military and historical contexts. Can also be used figuratively to describe being completely captivated by someone or something. The related term 战俘 specifically refers to wartime POWs.

Examples

1. 红十字国际委员会负责探视交战双方关押的俘虏。 The International Committee of the Red Cross is responsible for visiting prisoners of war held by both sides in the conflict.
2. 战争结束后，双方达成协议交换俘虏。 After the war ended, the two sides reached an agreement to exchange prisoners of war.
3. 他坦言自己早已成了这座城市的俘虏，再也不想离开。 He admitted that he had long since become a captive of this city and no longer wants to leave.

Usage Guide

Context: military, history

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据日内瓦公约，俘虏享有基本的人道主义待遇。(Under the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are entitled to basic humanitarian treatment.)
• 他被敌军俘虏后，始终没有泄露任何机密。(After being taken prisoner by the enemy, he never revealed any secrets.)

Don't Say

• 把宠物当俘虏 — 俘虏 is used for human captives in conflict; use 俘获 or 抓住 for animals

Origin & History

俘 (capture/prisoner) + 虏 (captive/prisoner)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal