报效 (bào xiào) — to devote one's service or resources to repay a debt of gratitude (to one's country, parents, etc.)

Definition

报效 (bào xiào) means to devote yourself or your resources to repaying a debt of gratitude, usually to one's country or parents. It is a formal, written verb — not used in everyday speech.

verb
to devote one's service or resources to repay a debt of gratitude (to one's country, parents, etc.)

Examples

  • 报效。
    Tā jué xīn xué chéng hòu bào xiào zǔ guó.
    He is determined to serve his country after completing his studies.
  • ，。
    Tā bào le yí cì xiào, jiù zài yě méi yǒu jī huì le.
    He rendered service once and never had another chance.
  • ，报效。
    Fù mǔ yǎng yù zhī ēn, wǒ men yīng dāng nǔ lì bào xiào.
    We should strive to repay our parents' nurturing kindness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

报bàorepay
效xiàooffer service

报 means repay and 效 means offer service; together they mean repay through devoted service.

Characters in this word

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 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pūto strike; action
Sound part声符shēngfú
交
交jiāo效xiào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

效 pairs 攵 (written in full as 攴), meaning “to strike; action,” with 交, which gives the sound.

Open 效 →

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