Meaning of 传播
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to disseminate; to propagate; to spread
How to use 传播
传播 is used for spreading information, ideas, culture, and also diseases. It often appears in news and formal writing. Example: 这个消息传播得很快。(Zhège xiāoxi chuánbō de hěn kuài.) This news spread very quickly.
传 (chuán) means to pass along, and 播 (bō) means to sow or broadcast, as in 广播 (guǎngbō). Picture passing seeds from hand to hand and scattering them far, and you have 传播, to spread.
Common mistake: Learners often read 传 as zhuàn, which is its pronunciation in 传记 (zhuànjì, biography). In 传播 it is always second tone chuán. Also, 播 is first tone bō, not bò.
传播 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
传 chuán · to pass on · 6 strokes
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播 bō · to sow · 15 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 传播.
| 传说 | chuánshuō | legend; folk tale; to repeat from mouth to mouth; they say that... |
| 播放 | bōfàng | to broadcast; to transmit (by radio or TV) |
| 广播 | guǎngbō | broadcast; broadcasting |
| 直播 | zhíbō | (TV, radio) to broadcast live; live broadcast |
| 宣传 | xuānchuán | to disseminate; to give publicity to |
| 传来 | chuánlái | (of a sound) to come through; to be heard |
| 播出 | bōchū | to broadcast; to air (a TV program etc) |
| 传统 | chuántǒng | tradition; traditional |
| 遗传 | yíchuán | heredity; to inherit (a trait) |
| 流传 | liúchuán | to spread; to circulate; to hand down |
| 传达 | chuándá | to pass on; to convey |
| 传递 | chuándì | to transmit; to pass on to sb else; (math.) transitive |
Questions about 传播
What does 传播 mean?
传播 (chuánbō) means "to disseminate; to propagate; to spread" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 传播?
传播 is made of 2 characters: 传 (6 strokes), 播 (15 strokes). That is 21 strokes in total.
Is 传播 an HSK word?
Yes. 传播 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 传播 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 传播 is written 傳播.
What is the difference between 传播 and 宣传?
宣传 (xuānchuán) means to promote or publicize something on purpose, like an event or a policy. 传播 simply means something spreads, whether on purpose or not. A virus can 传播, but you would not say it 宣传.
Can 传播 be used for diseases?
Yes. 传播 is the standard word for how a disease spreads, for example 病毒传播 (bìngdú chuánbō), the spread of a virus. You will hear it often in health news.