宣传 (xuānchuán)

宣传 means to spread information widely to promote ideas, products, or policies, ranging from publicity and marketing to propaganda.

Meanings

[verb] to publicize; to promote; to spread (information or ideas)
[noun] publicity; promotion; propaganda

Example Sentences

公司花了大量资金宣传新产品。 Gōngsī huāle dàliàng zījīn xuānchuán xīn chǎnpǐn. The company spent a lot of money publicizing new products.

政府通过媒体宣传环保意识。 Zhèngfǔ tōngguò méitǐ xuānchuán huánbǎo yìshí. The government promoted environmental awareness through the media.

这次活动的宣传做得非常好，吸引了很多人参加。 Zhè cì huódòng de xuānchuán zuò de fēicháng hǎo, xīyǐnle hěn duō rén cānjiā. The publicity for this event was done very well, attracting many participants.

他负责公司在社交媒体上的宣传工作。 Tā fùzé gōngsī zài shèjiāo méitǐ shàng de xuānchuán gōngzuò. He is responsible for the company's publicity work on social media.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
宣传活动	promotional/publicity campaign
宣传材料	promotional materials
广泛宣传	to publicize widely
宣传手册	promotional brochure

Usage Notes

宣传 has a neutral to positive meaning in everyday Chinese usage, often referring to marketing, public awareness campaigns, or promoting ideas. However, in political or historical contexts, especially in translation, it can carry the meaning of "propaganda." At B1 level, the focus is on its neutral use in business and social contexts.

Memory Hook

宣 means "to declare/announce" and 传 means "to spread/transmit" -- 宣传 is declaring something and spreading it widely, i.e., publicizing.