报

• Pinyin: bào
• Hanzi breakdown: 报 = simplified from 報; 扌(hand) + 卩 (person kneeling) + 又 (hand), originally meaning to repay

Meaning

Newspaper; report. A publication containing news and articles.

Short for 报纸 (newspaper). Also used in compounds: 日报 (daily newspaper), 晚报 (evening paper), 报名 (to sign up), 报告 (report). As a verb (separate meaning), it can mean to report or announce.

Examples

1. 爷爷每天早上都要看报。 Grandpa reads the newspaper every morning.
2. 今天的报上有一条很重要的新闻。 There is a very important piece of news in today's paper.
3. 他在网上看报比看纸质的多。 He reads the newspaper online more than in print.

Usage Guide

Context: media, reading, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你今天看报了吗？(Did you read the newspaper today?)
• 这份报上的文章写得很好。(The article in this newspaper is well written.)

Don't Say

• 给我一个报 (Don't use 个 as the measure word — use 份 for newspapers: 一份报 or 一份报纸)

Origin & History

Simplified from 報. Originally meant to repay or respond, later extended to mean to report or announce, and then to a newspaper.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal