宣告

• Pinyin: xuān gào
• Hanzi breakdown: 宣 = 宀(roof radical) + 亘 (to stretch across); 告 = 牛 (ox) + 口 (mouth) — original meaning: to offer up a report

Meaning

To announce; to proclaim; to officially declare. Used for formal public announcements of important outcomes, beginnings, or definitive ends.

More conclusive and authoritative than 宣布, often used for irreversible declarations such as founding a nation, end of a war, or legal acquittal. Common in historical, political, and legal contexts.

Examples

1. 随着最后一轮谈判协议的签署，指挥部庄重地宣告这场历时三年的武装冲突正式结束。 With the signing of the final round of negotiations, the command headquarters solemnly declared that the three-year armed conflict had officially ended.
2. 1949年10月1日，中华人民共和国正式宣告成立，举国上下一片欢庆。 On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was officially proclaimed, and the whole country erupted in celebration.
3. 法院经过长达两年的审理，最终宣告被告无罪释放。 After a two-year trial, the court ultimately declared the defendant not guilty and released them.

Usage Guide

Context: political, legal, historical

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 实验最终宣告失败，但团队从中积累了宝贵经验，为下一阶段的研究奠定了坚实基础。(The experiment ultimately ended in failure, but the team gained valuable experience that laid a solid foundation for the next phase of research.)
• 随着签字仪式的完成，合并协议正式宣告生效，两家公司从此合而为一，共同开拓新的市场版图。(With the completion of the signing ceremony, the merger agreement officially took effect, and the two companies became one, jointly opening up new market territory.)

Don't Say

• 他宣告要去买东西 — 宣告 is reserved for significant, official, or irreversible declarations; for casual everyday announcements use 说 or 宣布; 宣告 sounds absurd applied to trivial personal intentions

Origin & History

宣 (to proclaim) + 告 (to declare/inform)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal