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宣布 (xuān bù) — to announce, to declare

Definition

宣布 (xuānbù) means 'to announce' an official decision, policy, or result. Stronger and more formal than 公布 ('to make public' information); heavier than 声称 ('to claim', often disputed).

verb
to announceto declare

Examples

  • 宣布。
    Zhèng fǔ xuān bù le yí xiàng xīn zhèng cè.
    The government announced a new policy.
  • 宣布。
    Tā men xuān bù zài jié rì jǔ xíng yīn yuè huì.
    They announced that a concert will be held during the festival.
  • 宣布。
    Tā xuān bù xià ge yuè cān jiā bǐ sài.
    He announced that he will participate in the competition next month.

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
布bùspread; announce

宣 and 布 both involve declaring or spreading out, so together they express an announcement.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīnkerchief
Sound part声符shēngfú
父
父fù布bù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

Open 布 →
Appears in
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