表格

• Pinyin: biǎo gé
• Hanzi breakdown: 表 = originally meaning outer surface, extended to list/table; 格 = 木 (wood) + 各 (each), meaning grid or cell

Meaning

Form; table; chart. A document with rows and columns for organising data or collecting information.

Used for official forms to fill out, spreadsheets, data tables, and statistical charts. Common in administrative and office contexts. 填表格 (fill in a form) is one of the most frequent collocations.

Examples

1. 请把这张表格填好交给老师。 Please fill out this form and hand it to the teacher.
2. 这份表格里的数据需要更新一下。 The data in this table needs to be updated.
3. 报名的时候要先在网上填一份表格。 When registering, you need to fill out a form online first.

Usage Guide

Context: office, administrative, school

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 请在表格里填上你的信息。(Please fill in your information on the form.)
• 我做了一个表格来记录每天的开支。(I made a spreadsheet to track daily expenses.)

Don't Say

• 写一个表格 (Don't say 写表格 — use 填表格 for filling in a form, or 做表格 for creating a table)

Origin & History

Compound of 表 (table, list) and 格 (grid, cell), meaning a gridded document.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal