告 (gào) means "to tell, to inform" with 7 strokes, radical 口 (mouth), HSK 2 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to tell
Other meanings:
- to inform
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
Oracle bone forms of 告 show 牛 (ox) above 口 (mouth), and the character is usually explained as an ox being offered with a spoken announcement, i.e. a ritual report to the ancestors. An alternative scholarly reading is that the top element was not an ox but a symbol for a horn or wooden tablet used in such ceremonies. Either way, the pictograph is firmly tied to the act of formal announcement.
Form evolution
The bronze script keeps the 牛-over-口 arrangement but thickens the strokes. By small seal script the top element had become regularised into the shape we now write as 丄 plus the horizontal strokes of 牛. Clerical script flattened and straightened these curves, producing the modern 告 in which the ox origin is almost invisible.
How the meaning evolved
The core meaning was to announce or report, especially upward to ancestors or superiors, seen in 告诉 (to tell), 报告 (to report), and 公告 (public notice). From there it extended to legal accusation, preserved in 告状 and 原告 (plaintiff). A further extension covers bidding farewell or declaring something finished, as in 告别 and 告一段落.
Cultural note
The idiom 不告而别 ('to leave without telling anyone') relies on the original 'announce' sense rather than the later 'accuse' one, a distinction that trips up learners who first meet 告 through legal vocabulary.
Mnemonic
An ox mouth announces — to tell
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | gào |
| Meanings | to tell, to inform |
| Stroke count | 7 strokes |
| Radical | 口 (#30: mouth) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #92 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 告
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 告诉 | gàosu | to tell | HSK 2 |
| 广告 | guǎnggào | Advertisement | HSK 4 |
| 报告 | bàogào | Presentation | HSK 5 |
| 告别 | gàobié | farewell | HSK 5 |
| 转告 | zhuǎngào | Tell, transmit | HSK 5 |
| 被告 | bèigào | defendant, accused | HSK 7-9 |
| 不可告人 | bùkěgàorén | shameful, disgraceful | |
| 布告 | bùgào | notice, announcement | |
| 告 | gào | to tell, to inform | HSK 7-9 |
| 告辞 | gàocí | to say goodbye | HSK 7-9 |
| 告诫 | gàojiè | to warn, to admonish | HSK 7-9 |
| 告状 | gàozhuàng | to lodge a complaint | HSK 7-9 |
| 公告 | gōnggào | announcement, proclamation | HSK 6 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (action)
On the new HSK 2 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.