宣传 (xuānchuán) — to publicize; to promote; propaganda
HSK 5 | verb/noun | to spread information to promote a cause, idea, or policy
宣传 (xuānchuán)
To publicize or promote means to spread information about something in order to persuade people to support it, whether in commercial, political, or public service contexts.
Meanings
- [verb] to publicize; to promote; to spread awareness; to propagandize
- [noun] publicity; promotion; propaganda; public information campaign
Example Sentences
政府开展了大规模的环保宣传活动。 Zhèngfǔ kāizhǎnle dàguīmó de huánbǎo xuānchuán huódòng. The government launched a large-scale environmental protection publicity campaign.
这家公司在社交媒体上大力宣传新产品。 Zhè jiā gōngsī zài shèjiāo méitǐ shàng dàlì xuānchuán xīn chǎnpǐn. This company heavily promotes its new products on social media.
宣传册上列出了所有奖学金的申请条件。 Xuānchuán cè shàng lièchūle suǒyǒu jiǎngxuéjīn de shēnqǐng tiáojiàn. The brochure listed all the application conditions for the scholarships.
过度的商业宣传有时会让消费者感到厌倦。 Guòdù de shāngyè xuānchuán yǒushí huì ràng xiāofèizhě gǎndào yànjuàn. Excessive commercial promotion can sometimes make consumers feel tired.
学校积极宣传诚信考试的重要性。 Xuéxiào jījí xuānchuán chéngxìn kǎoshì de zhòngyào xìng. The school actively promotes the importance of academic integrity in exams.
这部纪录片起到了很好的文化宣传作用。 Zhè bù jìlùpiān qǐdàole hěn hǎo de wénhuà xuānchuán zuòyòng. This documentary played a good role in cultural promotion.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 宣传活动 (xuānchuán huódòng) | publicity/promotional campaign |
| 宣传材料 (xuānchuán cáiliào) | promotional materials |
| 宣传册 (xuānchuán cè) | brochure; pamphlet |
| 大力宣传 (dàlì xuānchuán) | to vigorously promote/publicize |
| 宣传教育 (xuānchuán jiàoyù) | publicity and education |
| 文化宣传 (wénhuà xuānchuán) | cultural promotion |
Usage Notes
宣传 covers a wide range from commercial advertising to political propaganda and public awareness campaigns. In Western contexts it can carry negative connotations (propaganda), but in Chinese it is a neutral or positive term across all these uses.
In Chinese political and official language, 宣传 frequently refers to ideological work and communication. For example, 宣传部 is the Propaganda Department (or Publicity Department in official translations). At B2 level, understanding this dual range of meaning -- commercial promotion and official messaging -- is important.
Memory Hook
宣 (to announce/declare) + 传 (to spread/transmit) -- 宣传 is the act of officially announcing something and spreading it far and wide.