告诉
HSK 2 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)Old HSK 2
告诉 (gàosu) · to tell
告诉 (gàosu) means “to tell”. It is written with 2 characters: 告 (to tell) + 诉 (to tell). It is an HSK 2 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 告诉 is built
The characters
告 gào · to tell
What 告 is made of
- 牛niú — ox
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: To speak 口 with the force of an ox 牛 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
诉 sù · to tell
What 诉 is made of
- 讠yán — speech
- 斥chì — to scold
- 斤jīn — a catty (about 500 grams)
- 厂chǎng — cliff
- 下xià — down
- 丶 — dot
- 斤jīn — a catty (about 500 grams)
Origin hint: Words 讠 of blame 斥; 斥 also provides the pronunciation (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
请告诉我你的名字。Qǐng gàosu wǒ nǐ de míngzi.Please tell me your name.
你告诉妈妈了吗？Nǐ gàosu māma le ma?Have you told Mom?
Questions about 告诉
What does 告诉 mean?
告诉 (gàosu) means “to tell”.
How do you pronounce 告诉?
告诉 is pronounced gàosu.
Which HSK level is 告诉?
告诉 is in HSK 2 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 2.
Related words
- 广告guǎnggàoadvertisement
- 报告bàogàoreport
- 告别gàobiéto say goodbye
- 转告zhuǎngàoto pass on (a message)
- 被告bèigàodefendant
- 布告bùgàonotice
- 告辞gàocíto take one's leave
- 告诫gàojièto warn
- 公告gōnggàoannouncement
- 警告jǐnggàoto warn
Learn 告诉 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 29: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.