宣传牌 (xuān chuán pái) — propaganda board, publicity sign, billboard

Definition

A 宣传牌 is a physical board or sign used to publicize or promote something — usually standing in public places like entrances, hallways, or village squares.

noun
propaganda boardpublicity signbillboard
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 宣传牌。
    Xiǎo qū mén kǒu lì zhe yí kuài xīn de xuān chuán pái.
    A new publicity board stands at the entrance of the residential community.
  • 宣传牌。
    Xué xiào zǒu láng lǐ de xuān chuán pái shàng xiě zhe fáng yì tí shì.
    The propaganda board in the school hallway has epidemic prevention tips written on it.
  • 宣传牌。
    Cūn lǐ xīn zuò le jǐ kuài xuān chuán pái xuān chuán lā jī fēn lèi.
    The village made several new publicity boards to promote garbage sorting.

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.

宣传spread and transmit
宣xuānspread传chuántransmit
联合Side by side
牌páiboard

Spreading and transmitting together mean publicize, and a board for this is a sign.

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 →

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
片片piàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi牌pái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

牌 puts 片, a flat piece, beside 卑, which gives the sound.

Open 牌 →

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