告

Tap the pinyin to hear it

(bound form) to say; to tell; to announce; to report; to denounce; to file a lawsuit; to sue

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

To speak 口 with the force of an ox 牛

Components 牛口

declare · Heisig RSH #254

牛 cow + 口 mouth

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
告诉	gào sù	to press charges; to file a complaint
告诉	gào su	to tell; to inform; to let know
不可告人	bù kě gào rén	(idiom) to be kept secret; not to be divulged
报告文学	bào gào wén xué	reportage
打小报告	dǎ xiǎo bào gào	(coll.) to tattletale; to rat on sb
工作报告	gōng zuò bào gào	working report; operating report
年度报告	nián dù bào gào	annual report
报告会	bào gào huì	public lecture (with guest speakers etc)
考克斯报告	Kǎo kè sī Bào gào	Cox Report; Report of the Select Committee on US National Security and Military-Commercial…
报告书	bào gào shū	written report
大功告成	dà gōng gào chéng	successfully accomplished (project or goal); to be highly successful
提告人	tí gào rén	plaintiff
广而告之	guǎng ér gào zhī	to publicize widely
报告员	bào gào yuán	spokesperson; announcer
告儿	gào r	(coll.) to tell
告白	gào bái	to announce publicly; to explain oneself; to reveal one's feelings; to confess; to declare…
电告	diàn gào	to inform by telegraph, telephone etc
公告	gōng gào	post; announcement
告发	gào fā	to lodge an accusation; accusation (law)
文告	wén gào	written statement; proclamation; announcement

These characters use 告 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
告 sound part	gào	to tell, to inform, to announce; to accuse
造	zào	to build, to construct, to invent, to manufacture
靠	kào	nearby; to depend on, to lean on, to trust
浩	hào	great, grand, vast
酷	kù	strong, stimulating; ruthless, intense
皓	hào	bright, luminous; clear; hoary
鹄	hú	swan
窖	jiào	cellar, storeroom
锆	gào	zirconium
梏	gù	handcuffs, manacles; fetters
牿	gù	cattle shed
郜	gào	a feudal state in Shantong; surname