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宣传 (xuān chuán) — to publicize, to promote, to disseminate (information or ideas)

Definition

宣传 emphasizes active, organized promotion (a campaign, product, idea) — broader than 推广, which focuses on popularizing a product or method.

verb
to publicizeto promoteto disseminate (information or ideas)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 宣传。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài xuān chuán tā men de xīn chǎn pǐn.
    The company is promoting their new product.
  • 宣传。
    Zhè cì xuān chuán huó dòng xī yǐn le hěn duō nián qīng rén.
    This publicity campaign attracted many young people.
  • 宣传。
    Tā men yòng hǎi bào lái xuān chuán huán bǎo lǐ niàn.
    They use posters to promote environmental ideas.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

宣xuāndeclare; spread
传chuánspread; transmit

宣 and 传 both involve spreading or transmitting, so together they express publicizing or propaganda.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
亘
亘gèn宣xuān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

宣 pairs the roof 宀, pointing to the emperor's main hall, with 亘 as the sound part. From that hall meaning, it came to mean clear or evident.

Open 宣 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Marketing & Sales5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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