海报

• Pinyin: hǎi bào
• Hanzi breakdown: 海 = 氵 (water) + 每 (every), meaning sea; 报 = 扌 (hand) + 卩 (kneeling person) + 又, meaning to report

Meaning

Poster; bill; placard. A large printed picture or notice used for advertising or decoration.

Used for movie posters (电影海报), concert posters, event announcements, propaganda posters, etc. Common collocations: 张贴海报 (put up posters), 宣传海报 (promotional poster), 海报设计 (poster design). Digital posters shared online are also called 海报.

Examples

1. 这部电影的海报设计非常吸引眼球，用了大胆的色彩和构图。 This movie's poster design really catches the eye, using bold colors and composition.
2. 学校门口贴满了各种社团招新的海报，让新生目不暇接。 The school entrance is covered with posters for various clubs recruiting new members, leaving freshmen overwhelmed.
3. 她的房间墙上贴满了偶像的海报，从地板一直到天花板。 Her room's walls are covered with posters of her idol, from the floor all the way to the ceiling.

Usage Guide

Context: advertising, entertainment, school

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这张海报很好看。(This poster looks great.)
• 帮我设计一张活动海报。(Help me design an event poster.)

Don't Say

• 把小传单叫海报 (Don't call small flyers 海报 — it typically refers to larger posters)

Origin & History

Compound of 海 (sea, vast) + 报 (report, announce). Originally referred to large-format notices, emphasizing their size. The term was adopted from Japanese during modernization.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal