---
title: "Jianyu Meaning: 监狱 (prison) or 鉴于 (in view of)?"
description: "监狱 (traditional 監獄, jiānyù) means “prison; jail”. Not the jianyu you heard? See 鉴于. Hear its tones, see what 监 and 狱 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jianyu"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 监狱 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

监狱 jiānyù

## prison; jail

## Its characters

1. 监 jiān prison
2. 狱 yù prison

## In a sentence

他在监狱里工作了二十年。 He worked in the prison for twenty years.

安史之乱的时候，他因为加入了永王的队伍，被关进**监狱**，差点儿被处死，后来被流放到很远的夜郎，走到半路才遇到大赦。

From [李白是谁？ · Who was Li Bai? China’s poet of the moon](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/who-was-li-bai#library-word-601-603)

[More about 监狱](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E7%9B%91%E7%8B%B1)

## Other words said jianyu

- [鉴于jiànyúin view of](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E9%89%B4%E4%BA%8E)

## More words with 监 or 狱

- [监督 jiāndū](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiandu)
- [监管 jiānguǎn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jianguan)
- [监控 jiānkòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiankong)

## Keep 监狱 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

## Look up another word

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