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佈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
to spread, to publicize, to announcex, 7 strokes, radical 亻, rank #96261, Very Hard
(bu4) T4
  1. 1to spread, to publicize, to announce
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(bu4)

The character 佈 (bù) means to spread, publicize, or announce something. It is commonly used in contexts where information, plans, or items are disseminated to a wider audience, such as in advertising or official announcements.

Strokes7RadicalFrequency#96261DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, public announcements were often made during festivals or important events, reflecting the significance of spreading information to bring communities together.

Memory Tip

Imagine you are 'putting out a blanket' (佈 sounds like '布' which means cloth) to spread the news to everyone around. The act of spreading the blanket symbolizes spreading information, making it easy to remember that 佈 means to announce or publicize.

Meanings of 佈

(bu4)
1to spread, to publicize, to announce
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 佈

Simplified
7Strokes
Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 佈

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Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 佈

Quick Contrast

布 (bù) means cloth or fabric, while 佈 (bù) specifically refers to spreading or announcing information.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine you are 'putting out a blanket' (佈 sounds like '布' which means cloth) to spread the news to everyone around. The act of spreading the blanket symbolizes spreading information, making it easy to remember that 佈 means to announce or publicize.

Usage Notes

Be cautious of using 佈 in overly formal contexts, as it can sound too grand for simple announcements. It is often collocated with words like '消息' (news) or '通知' (notification). Additionally, ensure you pronounce the fourth tone correctly to avoid confusion with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

While 佈 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, it shares roots with words related to communication and dissemination. Focus on its usage in sentences to reinforce its meaning alongside other HSK words like '宣传' (xuān chuán, to promote).

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, public announcements were often made during festivals or important events, reflecting the significance of spreading information to bring communities together.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 佈 with 布 (bù), which means cloth, resulting in sentences like '我佈了衣服' instead of the correct '我布了衣服' (I spread out the clothes). Ensure you use 佈 when discussing publicizing information.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 佈

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Etymology of 佈

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 巾 represents the meaning and 父 represents the sound. In the modern form it is not obvious that the top component is 父.

Memory Hint

A person 亻 making an announcement 布; 布 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 佈?

Decomposition of 佈

IDS Structure⿰亻布
Full Character
=
ren2
left
bu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 佈?

Write 佈

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Cultural Notes for 佈

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, public announcements were often made during festivals or important events, reflecting the significance of spreading information to bring communities together.

Word Family of 佈

Words Containing This Character20
宣布xuānbùto declare
公布gōngbùto announce公佈
cloth
发布fābùto release發佈
分布fēnbùto scatter分佈
布什Bush (name)
布置bùzhìto arrange佈置
布局bùjúarrangement佈局
新闻发布会news conference新聞發布會
发布会fābùhuìbriefing發佈會
布朗Brown (name)
颁布bānbùto issue頒布
布鲁克林Brooklyn, borough of New York City布魯克林
布鲁斯blues (music) (loanword)布魯斯
尿布diaper
布莱恩Brian (name)布萊恩
布丁pudding (loanword)
瀑布pùbùwaterfall
遍布biànbùto cover the whole (area)
布拉格Prague, capital of Czech Republic
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 宣布 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 佈

佈 emphasizes the act of spreading or publicizing broadly, while 发布 focuses more on the formal aspect of releasing or issuing information.