bào

report

Original meaning: 

punish

Depicts a person being subdued (𠬝) by shackles (). Based on the original meaning "punish". The meaning later shifted to "revenge", "recompense", "report", and "announce".

Components
㚔 iconic component

  Iconic component

niè

  

instrument of torture used in ancient times

𠬝 iconic component

𠬝  Iconic component

  

subdue

Evolution

報 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
報 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
報 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
報 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

bào

report, tell, announce; to announce; to inform; report; newspaper; recompense; revenge; CL:[fèn],|[zhāng]

Most common words with 報
Freq.
Word
Meaning

报告

to inform

report

报道

report

报纸

newspaper

报警

to sound an alarm