表明 (biǎomíng)

表明 means "to indicate," "to make clear," or "to show" and is used when someone or something clearly demonstrates or states a position, attitude, or fact.

Meanings

[verb] to indicate; to show clearly
[verb] to make clear; to express; to state explicitly

Example Sentences

他的行动表明他非常认真。 Tā de xíngdòng biǎomíng tā fēicháng rènzhēn. His actions show that he is very serious.

调查结果表明这个方法有效。 Diàochá jiéguǒ biǎomíng zhège fāngfǎ yǒuxiào. The survey results indicate that this method is effective.

她表明了自己的立场。 Tā biǎomíng le zìjǐ de lìchǎng. She made her position clear.

这些数据表明情况正在改善。 Zhèxiē shùjù biǎomíng qíngkuàng zhèngzài gǎishàn. These data indicate that the situation is improving.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
表明态度	to make one's attitude clear
表明立场	to state one's position
研究表明	research indicates
结果表明	results show

Usage Notes

表明 is more formal than 说明 (shuōmíng) and is often used in academic, journalistic, or official contexts. It typically takes a clause as its object. A common pattern is: subject + 表明 + that-clause, meaning the subject demonstrates or reveals something.

Memory Hook

表 (biǎo) means "to express outwardly" and 明 (míng) means "clear": 表明 means to express something so clearly it becomes obvious.