报税 (bào shuì) — to file taxes; to declare dutiable goods

Definition

报税 means 'to file taxes' — a separable verb (离合词) where 报 and 税 can split, as in 报完税 ('finished filing').

verb

to file taxesto declare dutiable goods

Examples

报税。
Měi nián sì yuè hěn duō rén dōu zài bào shuì.
Many people file taxes every April.
，。
Wǒ yǐ jīng bào wán shuì le, xiàn zài qīng sōng duō le.
I've finished filing taxes, so now I feel much more relaxed.
。
Tā jīn nián bào le liǎng cì shuì yīn wèi bǔ shuì.
He filed taxes twice this year because of tax supplements.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

报bàoreport

税shuìtax

“报” means report and “税” means tax, so the word means to report taxes.

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.

禾兑税

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hé

Sound part声符shēngfú

兑

兑duì税shuì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

税 pairs 禾, a grain plant, with 兑, which gives the character its sound.

Open 税 →

Appears in