‘劳役’ (láo yì) is a formal noun meaning ‘forced labor’ or ‘corvée’ — unpaid, compulsory work imposed by authorities, historically as a form of taxation or punishment. The first character, 劳 (láo), means ‘toil’ or ‘labor’; the second, 役 (yì), means ‘service’, ‘duty’, or ‘military conscription’. Together, they convey the idea of labor performed under obligation rather than choice — often in harsh or exploitative conditions.

This term appears primarily in historical, legal, or academic contexts, such as discussions of imperial Chinese governance, wartime policies, or human rights violations. It carries strong negative connotations and is rarely used in modern everyday speech. Unlike neutral terms like 工作 (gōngzuò, ‘work’) or 劳动 (láodòng, ‘labor’), 劳役 implies coercion, lack of consent, and institutional power imbalance. It may also appear in legal documents condemning forced labor practices under international law.