告 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) to say; to tell; to announce; to report; to denounce
How to write 告, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 告
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to say; to tell
- to announce; to report
- to denounce
- to file a lawsuit; to sue
How 告 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To speak 口 with the force of an ox 牛.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 告
告 puts an ox 牛 on top of a mouth 口. Picture someone speaking with the force of an ox, loudly telling or announcing something so everyone hears.
告 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 告诉 (gàosu, to tell), 报告 (bàogào, report), 广告 (guǎnggào, advertisement) and 告别 (gàobié, to say goodbye). It can also mean to sue, as in 告他 (gào tā). Example: 请告诉我你的名字。(Qǐng gàosu wǒ nǐ de míngzi.) Please tell me your name.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as a full 牛, but in 告 the vertical stroke stops at the top of 口 and does not pass through it. In everyday speech 告诉 is said with a neutral tone on the second syllable (gàosu), not gàosù.
Common words with 告
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 告诉 | gàosu | to press charges; to file a complaint | HSK 1 |
| 广告 | guǎnggào | to advertise; a commercial | HSK 2 |
| 报告 | bàogào | to inform; to report | HSK 3 |
| 告别 | gàobié | to leave; to part from; to bid farewell to; to say goodbye to | HSK 3 |
| 转告 | zhuǎngào | to pass on; to communicate | HSK 4 |
| 警告 | jǐnggào | to warn; to admonish | HSK 5 |
| 公告 | gōnggào | post; announcement | HSK 5 |
| 被告 | bèigào | (law) the defendant; the accused | HSK 6 |
| 原告 | yuángào | complainant; plaintiff | HSK 6 |
| 告知 | gàozhī | to inform; to notify | HSK 7-9 |
| 控告 | kònggào | to accuse; to charge; to indict | HSK 7-9 |
| 告辞 | gàocí | to say goodbye; to take one's leave | HSK 7-9 |
| 宣告 | xuāngào | to declare; to proclaim | HSK 7-9 |
| 通告 | tōnggào | to announce; to give notice; announcement | HSK 7-9 |
告 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 告
Learning 告 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 告
How many strokes are in 告?
告 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 告 mean?
告 (gào) means (bound form) to say; to tell; to announce; to report; to denounce. A common word with it is 告诉 (gàosu), meaning "to press charges; to file a complaint".
How do you pronounce 告?
告 is pronounced gào, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 告?
The radical of 告 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 告 under this radical.
Is 告 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 告 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 告诉 and 说?
告诉 means to tell someone something and takes a person as the object: 告诉他 (gàosu tā). 说 means to say or speak and usually takes the content or uses 跟 for the listener: 跟他说 (gēn tā shuō).
Can 告 alone mean to sue someone?
Yes. In spoken Chinese 告 by itself often means to take someone to court, as in 我要告你 (wǒ yào gào nǐ), I am going to sue you. The person being sued is the 被告 (bèigào), the defendant.