表态

• Pinyin: biǎo tài
• Hanzi breakdown: 表 = to express; 态 = 太 (great) + 心 (heart), meaning attitude or manner

Meaning

To state one's position; to declare one's stance; to make one's attitude clear. Often used in political, professional, or interpersonal contexts.

Implies a formal or deliberate declaration of where one stands on an issue. Common in meetings, negotiations, and political discourse. Can carry pressure — being asked to 表态 often means someone wants you to commit to a position.

Examples

1. 各部门负责人必须在明天的会议上就这个方案表态。 Department heads must state their positions on this proposal at tomorrow's meeting.
2. 她迟迟不肯表态，搞得大家都很被动。 Her prolonged refusal to take a stance put everyone in a difficult position.
3. 面对媒体的追问，发言人终于表态支持这项改革。 Facing the media's persistent questions, the spokesperson finally declared support for the reform.

Usage Guide

Context: political, professional, meetings

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你们公司对这次合作是什么态度，能不能表个态？(What's your company's position on this collaboration — can you state it?)
• 他在关键时刻没有表态，让人很失望。(His failure to take a stance at the critical moment was disappointing.)

Don't Say

• 你对今天中午吃什么表个态吧。(Don't use 表态 for trivial decisions like lunch — it's too formal and sounds sarcastic)

Origin & History

表 (to express, show) + 态 (attitude, manner). A verb-object compound meaning to express one's attitude or position.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal