播

bō

扌 + 番

HSK 3.0Level 6

Definitions

bō (verb) to broadcast; to spread

bō (verb) to sow; to scatter

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 番 represents the sound.

About

The character 播 combines the hand radical 扌, indicating a manual action, with the phonetic component 番, which evokes an agricultural context related to fields. Its original meaning referred to the physical act of scattering seeds in agriculture. This sense later broadened to encompass the widespread dissemination of material or information. As a verb, it now describes actions such as broadcasting radio or television, spreading news, or dispersing ideas to a broad audience.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他在播放音乐。

Tā zài bōfàng yīnyuè.

He is playing music.

农民在田里播种。

Nóngmín zài tián lǐ bōzhǒng.

Farmers are sowing seeds in the field.

新闻每天播报三次。

Xīnwén měitiān bōbào sān cì.

The news is broadcast three times a day.

这个电台播送古典音乐。

Zhège diàntái bōsòng gǔdiǎn yīnyuè.

This radio station broadcasts classical music.

互联网加速了信息的传播。

Hùliánwǎng jiāsù le xìnxī de chuánbō.

The internet has accelerated the spread of information.

他们通过卫星播送电视节目。

Tāmen tōngguò wèixīng bōsòng diànshì jiémù.

They broadcast television programs via satellite.

这种病毒通过空气传播得很迅速。

Zhè zhǒng bìngdú tōngguò kōngqì chuánbō de hěn xùnsù.

This virus spreads through the air very quickly.

为了推广新产品，公司决定在黄金时段播放广告。

Wèile tuīguǎng xīn chǎnpǐn, gōngsī juédìng zài huángjīn shíduàn bōfàng guǎnggào.

In order to promote the new product, the company decided to broadcast advertisements during prime time.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

Component: 番

播