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海报 (hǎi bào) — poster

Definition

A 海报 is a large printed notice (poster), typically for ads, events, or recruitment — visual and posted publicly. Unlike 通知 or 公告, it is graphical/promotional, not an official written announcement, and unlike 启事 it is not a classified ad in print.

noun
poster
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 海报。
    Zhè zhāng hǎi bào shì zuó tiān gāng tiē shàng qù de.
    This poster was just put up yesterday.
  • 海报。
    Gōng sī mén kǒu tiē le yì zhāng zhāo pìn hǎi bào.
    A recruitment poster was posted at the company entrance.
  • 海报。
    Tā huā le hěn duō shí jiān shè jì zhè zhāng hǎi bào.
    He spent a lot of time designing this poster.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

海hǎiwide
报bàonotice

海报 joins 海, wide, and 报, a notice, to name a broad public notice.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi海hǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

Open 海 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Art & Fine ArtsMarketing & Sales

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