罗

• Pinyin: luó
• Hanzi breakdown: 罗 = 罒 + 夕 (net radical + evening — a bird-catching net)

Meaning

A net for catching birds; a sieve; to arrange or display; to collect or gather. Also a common surname (Luo).

Appears in many compounds: 罗网 (net/trap), 罗列 (to enumerate/list), 包罗万象 (all-encompassing), 星罗棋布 (scattered like stars and chess pieces — spread out everywhere). The surname 罗 is one of the most common Chinese surnames.

Examples

1. 博物馆的展厅里罗列着各个历史时期的珍贵文物，令参观者目不暇接。 The museum hall displays precious artifacts from every historical period, leaving visitors dazzled.
2. 这座古城的大街小巷星罗棋布着数不清的历史遗迹和文化景点。 Throughout this ancient city, countless historical sites and cultural attractions are scattered everywhere like stars across the sky.
3. 警方布下天罗地网，终于将这个长期逍遥法外的犯罪团伙一网打尽。 The police set an inescapable dragnet and finally rounded up the criminal gang that had been on the run for years.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, idioms, names, description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这份报告详细罗列了过去一年中所有重大项目的进展情况和关键数据。(This report lists in detail the progress and key data of all major projects over the past year.)
• 这本百科全书包罗万象，涵盖了自然科学、社会科学和人文艺术等各个领域的知识。(This encyclopaedia is all-encompassing, covering knowledge in various fields such as natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities and arts.)

Don't Say

• 罗一个网 — the verb 罗 in modern Chinese primarily means 'to list/arrange,' not 'to cast a net'; use 撒网 or 布网 for casting nets

Origin & History

罗 = 罒 + 维 simplified (net + maintain — a catching net)

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal