传播 (chuánbō)

传播 means to spread or disseminate information, ideas, culture, or disease from one person or place to another, and as a noun it refers to the act or process of such transmission.

Meanings

[verb] to spread; to disseminate; to propagate (information, culture, disease, etc.)
[noun] dissemination; transmission; communication (the process of spreading)

Example Sentences

互联网大大加速了信息的传播速度，使新闻能在几秒钟内传遍全球。 Hùliánwǎng dàdà jiāsùle xìnxī de chuánbō sùdù, shǐ xīnwén néng zài jǐ miǎozhōng nèi chuán biàn quánqiú. The Internet has greatly accelerated the speed of information dissemination, allowing news to spread around the world in seconds.

这种病毒主要通过飞沫传播，因此佩戴口罩能有效减少感染风险。 Zhè zhǒng bìngdú zhǔyào tōngguò fēimò chuánbō, yīncǐ pèidài kǒuzhào néng yǒuxiào jiǎnshǎo gǎnrǎn fēngxiǎn. This virus spreads mainly through droplets, so wearing a mask can effectively reduce the risk of infection.

社交媒体上的谣言传播速度极快，往往在被辟谣之前就已广泛扩散。 Shèjiāo méitǐ shàng de yáoyán chuánbō sùdù jí kuài, wǎngwǎng zài bèi pì yáo zhīqián jiù yǐ guǎngfàn kuòsàn. Rumors on social media spread extremely fast, often having already widely circulated before being debunked.

文化的传播不仅通过语言，还通过艺术、音乐和饮食等方式实现。 Wénhuà de chuánbō bùjǐn tōngguò yǔyán, hái tōngguò yìshù, yīnyuè hé yǐnshí děng fāngshì shíxiàn. Cultural transmission is achieved not only through language, but also through art, music, and food.

新闻传播学是一门研究媒体如何影响社会公众的综合性学科。 Xīnwén chuánbōxué shì yī mén yánjiū méitǐ rúhé yǐngxiǎng shèhuì gōngzhòng de zōnghéxìng xuékē. Journalism and communication studies is a comprehensive discipline that studies how media influences the public.

政府采取多项措施遏制虚假信息的传播，保护公众免受误导。 Zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔ duō xiàng cuòshī è zhì xūjiǎ xìnxī de chuánbō, bǎohù gōngzhòng miǎn shòu wùdǎo. The government took multiple measures to curb the spread of false information and protect the public from being misled.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
信息传播	information dissemination
文化传播	cultural transmission
病毒传播	virus transmission; viral spread
传播速度	speed of transmission/spread
新闻传播学	journalism and communication studies
广泛传播	to spread widely

Usage Notes

传播 is a versatile and important word at B2 level with applications in media, public health, and cultural studies. It can describe the spread of information, disease, ideas, or culture. The field 新闻传播学 (journalism and communication studies) is a common university major in China, making 传播 an important academic term.

传播 differs from 传染 (to infect) in that 传染 is specifically about disease transmission and implies infection, while 传播 can be used for any kind of spreading, including information and culture.

Memory Hook

传 (to pass/transmit) + 播 (to sow/broadcast) — 传播 is to "broadcast and sow" information or ideas across a wide area.