海报
hǎibào
In Chinese, the word for poster is 海报 (hǎibào).
海报 refers to a picture intended to be attached to a wall.
Meaning: picture intended to be attached to a wall (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 海 (hǎi), meaning 'sea' and 报 (bào), meaning 'report' or 'notice', although in modern usage it functions as a single unit meaning 'poster'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the term is written as 海報.
How do you pronounce it?
hǎibào
Did you know?
- In ancient China, the equivalent of a 'poster' was often a 榜, which was a public notice posted on a wall to announce imperial examinations or government decrees.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'posting' something on a wall can be linked to 贴, a verb meaning 'to stick'. This is why you will see 'spring couplets' 春联 pasted on doors, which function as traditional cultural posters.
- Chinese has a specific term, 宣传画, which refers specifically to 'propaganda posters'. While 海报 is a general term, 宣传画 carries a strong political or social connotation from the mid-20th century.
Examples in context
- 他停下脚步看起海报。He paused to look at the poster.This sentence shows how to use 海报 in a context where someone is looking at a poster.Tatoeba #9970751 by GlossaMatik, translation #304649 by CK
- Daniel 在海报上看到了一条很有趣的广告。Daniel saw a very interesting advertisement on the poster.
- 我们需要一些宣传海报来吸引更多的参观者。We need some publicity posters to attract more visitors.
- 我在办公室里贴了一张你喜欢的海报。I posted a poster you like in the office.
- 墙上贴着一张海报。Qiáng shàng tiēzhe yì zhāng hǎobào.A poster is pasted on the wall.
- 我想要买这张海报。Wǒ xiǎng yào mǎi zhè zhāng hǎobào.I want to buy this poster.
Example conversation
At a bookstore, looking at movie merchandise.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看这张海报漂亮吗？Hàorán, nǐ kàn zhè zhāng hǎobào piàoliang ma?Haoran, do you think this poster is beautiful?
- 浩然 Haoran非常漂亮，颜色很鲜艳。Fēicháng piàoliang, yánsè hěn xiānyàn.Very beautiful, the colors are very bright.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也觉得，我想把它带回家。Wǒ yě juéde, wǒ xiǎng bǎ tā dài huí jiā.I think so too, I want to take it home.
- 浩然 Haoran好主意，它很适合你的房间。Hǎo zhǔyì, tā hěn shìhé nǐ de fángjiān.Good idea, it will suit your room well.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
