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举报 (jǔ bào) — to report (wrongdoing or a wrongdoer) to the authorities; to denounce

Definition

举报 is to report wrongdoing or a wrongdoer to the authorities (police, discipline commission, etc.). Stronger and more formal than 报警 (which is for emergencies) and more accusatory than 汇报 (reporting on work).

verb
to report (wrongdoing or a wrongdoer) to the authoritiesto denounce

Examples

  • 举报。
    Tā nì míng jǔ bào le gōng sī de cái wù zào jiǎ xíng wéi.
    He anonymously reported the company's financial fraud.
  • ，举报。
    Rú guǒ nǐ fā xiàn yǒu rén shòu huì, kě yǐ xiàng jì wěi jǔ bào.
    If you find someone taking bribes, you can report it to the discipline commission.
  • 举报。
    Jǐng fāng gǔ lì shì mín jí shí jǔ bào kě yí huó dòng.
    The police encourage citizens to promptly report suspicious activities.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

举jǔbring to attention
报bàoreport

举 and 报 both relate to bringing something to attention, so it means to report wrongdoing.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 舉; 举 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
與
與yǔ舉jǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 舉 pairs 與, which gives the sound, with 手, a hand; the simplified 举 is a later shorthand.

Open 举 →

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 7-9Crime & Police

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