宣读

• Pinyin: xuān dú
• Hanzi breakdown: 宣 = 宀(roof) + 亘 (extend across); 读 = 讠(speech radical) + 卖 (phonetic component)

Meaning

To read aloud officially; to formally announce by reading a written document in public.

Used in formal ceremonies and official proceedings. Common in legal, political, and academic contexts where a written statement is read aloud before an audience. Appears in collocations like 宣读声明 (read out a statement) and 宣读判决 (read out a verdict).

Examples

1. 庭审最后，法官站起身来，神情严肃地宣读了最终判决结果。 At the end of the hearing, the judge stood up and, with a solemn expression, read out the final verdict.
2. 毕业典礼上，学生代表面向全场宣读了共同起草的毕业宣言。 At the graduation ceremony, the student representative read aloud the graduation declaration that the students had drafted together.
3. 联合国代表在大会开幕式上宣读了成员国联合签署的和平倡议书。 At the opening ceremony of the General Assembly, a UN representative read aloud a peace initiative jointly signed by member states.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, ceremonies, politics

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 主席在全体会议上宣读了修订后的章程，并逐条加以解释，确保所有成员对新规定有准确的理解。(The chairperson read out the revised charter at the plenary session and explained it clause by clause to ensure all members had an accurate understanding of the new provisions.)
• 颁奖典礼上，主持人宣读了评委会的授奖理由，现场掌声雷动，经久不息。(At the awards ceremony, the host read out the jury's reasons for the award to thunderous and sustained applause.)

Don't Say

• 他宣读了一封私信 — 宣读 implies formal, official, public reading; for reading a private letter aloud use 朗读 or 念; 宣读 must involve formal public contexts

Origin & History

宣 (to announce) + 读 (to read)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal