牢屋(ろうや)

ろうや
noun
jail; prison cell
1. jail; prison cell; gaol
A room or building where prisoners are kept. Often evokes a traditional or historical image of confinement, such as cells with bars.
牢屋(ろうや)に入(い)れられた。
He was thrown in jail.
犯人(はんにん)は暗(くら)い牢屋(ろうや)の中(なか)で過(す)ごした。
The criminal spent time in a dark prison cell.
江戸(えど)時代(じだい)の牢屋(ろうや)は今(いま)の刑務所(けいむしょ)とはまったく違(ちが)っていた。
Jails in the Edo period were completely different from today's prisons.

USAGE:
牢屋(ろうや) has a somewhat old-fashioned or dramatic tone. In modern everyday language, 刑務所(けいむしょ) (prison) is the standard term for penal institutions. 牢屋(ろうや) is commonly used in historical contexts, fiction, and colloquial expressions.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 牢屋(ろうや)に入(い)れる (to put in jail)
  • 牢屋(ろうや)に入(はい)る (to go to jail)
  • 牢屋(ろうや)から出(で)る (to get out of jail)

Related Words

Related: 刑務所(けいむしょ) (prison (modern))
general
Added 2026.3.8 21:24 · Revised 2026.3.29 19:42
15500/15832_rouya