bàojǐng: 报警 - To Report to the Police, To Sound an Alarm

• Keywords: baojing, 报警, report to police China, call the police Chinese, how to say alarm in Chinese, Chinese emergency number, 110 in China, police Chinese verb, public security China
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 报警 (bàojǐng), which means “to report to the police” or “to sound an alarm.” This page breaks down the characters, explains the cultural context of contacting authorities in China (including the emergency number 110), and provides over 10 practical example sentences. Discover the crucial difference between 报警 (bàojǐng) (the action) and 警察 (jǐngchá) (the person) to avoid common mistakes and speak more naturally.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bàojǐng
• Part of Speech: Verb (specifically, a verb-object compound)
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To report an incident to the police or for an alarm to go off.
• In a Nutshell: 报警 (bàojǐng) is the go-to word for the action of contacting the police for help. It's a direct and functional term you'd use in an emergency, like a theft or an accident. Think of it as the Chinese equivalent of “to call 911” or “to report it.” It also covers the literal meaning of a device, like a smoke detector or car alarm, “sounding an alarm.”

• 报 (bào): This character means “to report,” “to announce,” or “to inform.” Imagine someone delivering news or a newspaper (报纸 - bàozhǐ). It signifies the act of conveying information.
• 警 (jǐng): This character means “to warn,” “to be vigilant,” or “police.” It contains the “speech” radical (言) on the bottom, suggesting a verbal warning. It's the core character in words related to the police and alertness.

When combined, 报 (bào) + 警 (jǐng) literally translates to “report a warning” or “report to the police,” perfectly capturing the word's two main functions.

In China, the act of 报警 (bàojǐng) is taken very seriously. The nationwide emergency number for the police is 110 (yāo yāo líng). Note that the number '1' is pronounced “yāo” instead of “yī” in phone numbers and series of digits to avoid confusion with the number '7' (qī). While in some Western cultures it might be common to call the police for a wider range of issues (like noise complaints), in Chinese culture, there's often a stronger preference for resolving minor disputes privately or through mediation. Involving the authorities can be seen as escalating a situation and causing a “loss of face” (丢面子 - diū miànzi) for the other party. Therefore, 报警 (bàojǐng) is typically reserved for clear-cut crimes (theft, assault, traffic accidents) and genuine emergencies, rather than minor social disagreements. It signifies that a situation has moved beyond personal resolution and requires official intervention.

报警 (bàojǐng) is a common and practical word used in several contexts:

• Reporting a Crime or Emergency: This is the most frequent usage. You would use it to tell someone you are calling, or have already called, the police.
• e.g., “My phone was stolen, I need to 报警.”
• Describing an Alarm System: It's used when a physical alarm is triggered.
• e.g., “The car alarm (汽车报警器 - qìchē bàojǐngqì) went off.”
• As a Warning or Threat: In a heated argument, someone might say “再这样我就报警了!” (Zài zhèyàng wǒ jiù bàojǐng le!), meaning “If you keep this up, I'm calling the police!”
• Figurative/Humorous Use: Less common, but it can be used humorously to describe a personal “emergency.”
• e.g., “I'm so hungry my stomach is sounding the alarm!” (我饿得肚子都报警了 - Wǒ è de dùzi dōu bàojǐng le!).

The term is neutral in connotation and is used in both formal and informal situations.

• Example 1:
  • 我的钱包被偷了，我得去报警。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le, wǒ děi qù bàojǐng.
  • English: My wallet was stolen, I have to go report it to the police.
  • Analysis: A very common and standard use of the term. `被 (bèi)` indicates the passive voice (“was stolen”).
• Example 2:
  • 如果你看到任何可疑的情况，请立即报警。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ kàndào rènhé kěyí de qíngkuàng, qǐng lìjí bàojǐng.
  • English: If you see any suspicious situation, please report it to the police immediately.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `立即 (lìjí)`, meaning “immediately,” emphasizing the urgency often associated with 报警. This is language you might see on a public sign.
• Example 3:
  • 快报警！那里发生了交通事故！
  • Pinyin: Kuài bàojǐng! Nàlǐ fāshēng le jiāotōng shìgù!
  • English: Quick, call the police! There's been a traffic accident over there!
  • Analysis: A command form, showing how it's used in a real emergency.
• Example 4:
  • 半夜里，我家的汽车警报器突然报警了。
  • Pinyin: Bànyè lǐ, wǒ jiā de qìchē jǐngbàoqì tūrán bàojǐng le.
  • English: In the middle of the night, my car alarm suddenly went off.
  • Analysis: This shows the second meaning of the word: for a device to sound an alarm. Here, `报警` functions as the verb “to alarm.”
• Example 5:
  • 你确定要报警吗？这只是个小误会。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ quèdìng yào bàojǐng ma? Zhè zhǐshì ge xiǎo wùhuì.
  • English: Are you sure you want to call the police? This is just a small misunderstanding.
  • Analysis: This sentence illustrates the cultural nuance of hesitating to involve authorities for minor issues.
• Example 6:
  • 他威胁说，如果我们不离开，他就要报警。
  • Pinyin: Tā wēixié shuō, rúguǒ wǒmen bù líkāi, tā jiù yào bàojǐng.
  • English: He threatened that if we didn't leave, he would call the police.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the use of 报警 as a threat or a statement of intent.
• Example 7:
  • 在中国，报警电话是110。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, bàojǐng diànhuà shì yāo yāo líng.
  • English: In China, the emergency police number is 110.
  • Analysis: A crucial piece of practical information for anyone in China. It clarifies that 报警 is associated with the number 110.
• Example 8:
  • 发生火灾时，你应该打119报警，而不是110。
  • Pinyin: Fāshēng huǒzāi shí, nǐ yīnggāi dǎ yāo yāo jiǔ bàojǐng, ér búshì yāo yāo líng.
  • English: When a fire breaks out, you should call 119 to report it, not 110.
  • Analysis: This introduces the concept of different emergency numbers. While 报警 is general, specific numbers exist for different emergencies like fire (火警 - huǒjǐng).
• Example 9:
  • 不要为了一点小事就随便报警，这样会浪费警力。
  • Pinyin: Búyào wèile yìdiǎn xiǎoshì jiù suíbiàn bàojǐng, zhèyàng huì làngfèi jǐnglì.
  • English: Don't just casually call the police over a small matter, it wastes police resources.
  • Analysis: This sentence explicitly states the social expectation to not overuse the emergency service. `警力 (jǐnglì)` means “police resources/manpower.”
• Example 10:
  • 我饿得肚子都在报警了，我们去吃饭吧！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ è de dùzi dōu zài bàojǐng le, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba!
  • English: I'm so hungry my stomach is sounding the alarm, let's go eat!
  • Analysis: An example of the humorous, figurative use of 报警. It's informal and creative.

The single most common mistake for English-speaking learners is confusing the action of calling the police with the person who is the police.

• 报警 (bàojǐng) is a VERB (the action).
• 警察 (jǐngchá) is a NOUN (the person/people).

Incorrect: 我需要一个报警。 (Wǒ xūyào yí ge bàojǐng.)

• This literally means “I need a 'report to the police'.” It's grammatically incorrect and confusing.

Correct: 我需要一个警察。 (Wǒ xūyào yí ge jǐngchá.)

• This means “I need a police officer.”

Incorrect: 我要打电话给报警。 (Wǒ yào dǎ diànhuà gěi bàojǐng.)

• This means “I want to make a phone call to 'report to the police'.” You call a person or a number, not an action.

Correct: 我要报警。 (Wǒ yào bàojǐng.)

• This means “I want to report (it) to the police.” It's a complete, correct thought.

Correct: 我要给警察打电话。 (Wǒ yào gěi jǐngchá dǎ diànhuà.)

• This means “I want to make a phone call to the police.”

Rule of Thumb: If you would say “call the police” or “report it” in English, use 报警 (bàojǐng). If you would say “a police officer” or “the police” as a noun, use 警察 (jǐngchá).

• 警察 (jǐngchá) - Police officer. The person/profession, not the action.
• 派出所 (pàichūsuǒ) - The local police station or precinct. This is where you would physically go to report a non-emergency crime.
• 公安 (gōng'ān) - Public Security. Often used as a synonym for “police,” especially in the official name “Public Security Bureau” (公安局 - Gōng'ānjú).
• 110 (yāo yāo líng) - The emergency phone number to call the police in mainland China.
• 警报 (jǐngbào) - An alarm or a siren (noun). This is the *sound* or *signal* itself. For example, “I heard a fire alarm” (我听到了火灾警报 - Wǒ tīngdào le huǒzāi jǐngbào).
• 警告 (jǐnggào) - A warning (noun); to warn (verb). A more general term not specific to the police.
• 火警 (huǒjǐng) - Fire alarm; report a fire. The emergency number for this is 119.
• 急救 (jíjiù) - First aid; emergency medical services. The emergency number for this is 120.
• 报案 (bào'àn) - To report a case (to the police). A slightly more formal synonym for 报警, emphasizing the legal “case” (案 - àn) being filed.