guǎnggào: 广告 - Advertisement, Commercial, To Advertise

• Keywords: guǎnggào, 广告, Chinese for advertisement, Chinese commercial, advertise in Chinese, marketing in China, guang gao, Chinese ads, HSK 4 vocabulary
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 广告 (guǎnggào), meaning “advertisement” or “commercial.” This page provides a deep dive into its meaning, character origins, and cultural significance in modern China's bustling economy. With over 10 practical example sentences, you'll master how to talk about TV commercials, online ads, and the act of advertising, making your Chinese more authentic and relevant.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): guǎnggào
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A public announcement, typically in print, on television, or online, used to promote a product, service, or event.
• In a Nutshell: 广告 (guǎnggào) is the go-to, everyday word for “advertisement” in Chinese. It covers everything from a 30-second TV commercial to a pop-up banner on a website, or a billboard by the highway. It's a neutral, modern term that directly translates the concept of advertising in a commercial context.

• 广 (guǎng): This character means “wide,” “broad,” or “extensive.” You can think of it as a shelter or roof (广) covering a large, open area. It implies reaching a wide audience.
• 告 (gào): This character means “to tell,” “to announce,” or “to inform.” It's composed of a “mouth” (口) at the bottom, suggesting speech or an announcement.
• Together, 广告 (guǎnggào) literally means “to widely announce” or “to broadly inform.” This combination perfectly captures the function of an advertisement: to broadcast a message to as many people as possible.

While 广告 is a modern term, its prevalence tells a story about modern China. After the “Reform and Opening Up” (改革开放, gǎigé kāifàng) in the late 1970s, China's economy transformed, and with it came the explosion of commercial advertising. Today, ads are an unavoidable part of urban life in China, from the subways of Shanghai to the videos on Bilibili. A key difference from some Western advertising is the directness. While Western ads often focus on building a brand through abstract storytelling, many Chinese ads are famous for being very direct, sales-focused, and repetitive, emphasizing product features, benefits, and celebrity endorsements. However, this is changing, with more sophisticated and creative campaigns emerging. The rise of e-commerce and live-streaming has created a unique advertising culture. Influencers (网红, wǎnghóng) doing live-stream sales are a major form of 广告, blending entertainment with high-pressure sales in a way that is far more integrated into daily life than in many Western countries. These ads often reflect current societal values like technological prowess, family, and achieving a modern, prosperous lifestyle.

广告 is used constantly in daily conversation, business, and online.

• As a Noun: It refers to the ad itself.
  • e.g., 我跳过了那个广告。 (Wǒ tiàoguò le nàge guǎnggào.) - I skipped that ad.
• As a Verb (with a helper): While 广告 can technically be a verb, it's almost always paired with another verb in colloquial speech. The most common construction is 打广告 (dǎ guǎnggào), which means “to advertise” or “to run an ad.” Another common one is 做广告 (zuò guǎnggào), which can mean “to create an ad” or “to do advertising.”
  • e.g., 我们公司需要打广告。 (Wǒmen gōngsī xūyào dǎ guǎnggào.) - Our company needs to advertise.
• Connotation: The word itself is neutral. However, it can take on a negative connotation depending on the context, especially when referring to annoying or intrusive ads.
  • e.g., 这个网站的广告太多了！ (Zhège wǎngzhàn de guǎnggào tài duō le!) - This website has too many ads!

• Example 1:
  • 我不喜欢看电视广告。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuān kàn diànshì guǎnggào.
  • English: I don't like watching TV commercials.
  • Analysis: A simple, common sentence using 广告 as a noun for “commercials.”
• Example 2:
  • 我们的新产品需要打广告。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn xūyào dǎ guǎnggào.
  • English: Our new product needs to be advertised.
  • Analysis: This shows the most common verbal usage, 打广告 (dǎ guǎnggào), which means “to advertise” or “to run an ad campaign.”
• Example 3:
  • 这个广告的口号很有创意。
  • Pinyin: Zhège guǎnggào de kǒuhào hěn yǒu chuàngyì.
  • English: This advertisement's slogan is very creative.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how 广告 can be modified by other words, here specifying the “slogan” (口号) of the ad.
• Example 4:
  • 你在哪个广告公司工作？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zài nǎge guǎnggào gōngsī gōngzuò?
  • English: Which advertising agency do you work at?
  • Analysis: 广告 is used here as an adjective to describe the type of company (公司).
• Example 5:
  • 地铁里到处都是广告。
  • Pinyin: Dìtiě lǐ dàochù dōu shì guǎnggào.
  • English: There are advertisements everywhere in the subway.
  • Analysis: A good example describing the ubiquity of ads in a modern Chinese city. 到处都 (dàochù dōu) means “everywhere.”
• Example 6:
  • 这是一则公益广告，不是商业广告。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yī zé gōngyì guǎnggào, bùshì shāngyè guǎnggào.
  • English: This is a public service announcement, not a commercial advertisement.
  • Analysis: This shows different types of ads: 公益 (gōngyì) for “public service” and 商业 (shāngyè) for “commercial.” 则 (zé) is a measure word for ads or news items.
• Example 7:
  • 我不小心点到了一个弹窗广告。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bù xiǎoxīn diǎn dào le yígè tánchuāng guǎnggào.
  • English: I accidentally clicked on a pop-up ad.
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence for navigating the modern internet. 弹窗 (tánchuāng) means “pop-up window.”
• Example 8:
  • 很多网红靠接广告赚钱。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō wǎnghóng kào jiē guǎnggào zhuànqián.
  • English: A lot of internet influencers make money by accepting advertisements.
  • Analysis: Highlights the modern context of influencer (网红, wǎnghóng) marketing. 接广告 (jiē guǎnggào) means to “take on” or “accept” an advertising deal.
• Example 9:
  • 这家公司的广告投入非常大。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī de guǎnggào tóurù fēicháng dà.
  • English: This company's advertising investment is very large.
  • Analysis: A more business-oriented sentence. 投入 (tóurù) means “investment” or “input.”
• Example 10:
  • 这部电影里有很多植入式广告。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bù diànyǐng lǐ yǒu hěn duō zhírùshì guǎnggào.
  • English: This movie has a lot of product placement.
  • Analysis: Introduces the specific term for product placement, 植入式广告 (zhírùshì guǎnggào), which literally means “implanted-style advertisement.”

• 广告 (guǎnggào) vs. 宣传 (xuānchuán): This is a key distinction. 广告 is almost exclusively for commercial purposes—selling a product or service. 宣传 (xuānchuán) means “propaganda” or “publicity” and is much broader. It can be used for government campaigns (e.g., public health notices), promoting an idea, or political propaganda. Using 广告 for a government announcement would sound strange; it implies a commercial motive.
  • Correct: 政府宣传大家要戴口罩。(Zhèngfǔ xuānchuán dàjiā yào dài kǒuzhào.) - The government is publicizing that everyone should wear masks.
  • Incorrect: 政府打广告大家要戴口罩。 (This implies the government is selling masks in a commercial way.)
• 打广告 (dǎ guǎnggào) vs. 做广告 (zuò guǎnggào): These are often interchangeable for the general act of “advertising.” However, there's a slight nuance. 打广告 often emphasizes the action of *running* or *placing* the ad for the public to see. 做广告 can also mean this, but it can also lean more towards the process of *creating* or *producing* the ad. For a beginner, using 打广告 is a safe and common choice.
• Don't use it for “advice”: In English, an “advertisement” for a certain lifestyle could be seen as advice. In Chinese, 广告 is not used for personal advice. For that, you would use 建议 (jiànyì).

• 宣传 (xuānchuán) - Propaganda; publicity. Broader and often non-commercial or political.
• 营销 (yíngxiāo) - Marketing. The overall business strategy of which advertising is just one part.
• 推销 (tuīxiāo) - To promote sales; to hawk. More focused on the direct, active process of selling.
• 海报 (hǎibào) - Poster. A specific physical type of advertisement.
• 广告牌 (guǎnggàopái) - Billboard; signboard.
• 广告商 (guǎnggàoshāng) - The advertiser; the sponsor; the company paying for the ad.
• 代言人 (dàiyánrén) - Spokesperson; brand ambassador. The celebrity or influencer featured in the ad.
• 植入式广告 (zhírùshì guǎnggào) - Product placement. Literally “implanted-style advertisement.”
• 口号 (kǒuhào) - Slogan. The catchy phrase used in an ad campaign.
• 传单 (chuándān) - Flyer; leaflet. Another physical form of advertising.