HSK 3.0 · LEVEL 1
告诉
To tell, to inform, or to let someone know.
Free Chinese vocabulary flashcard · HSK 1
Why does 告诉 look like this?
告 (gào): ⼝ (mouth) + 牛 (cow). Originally meant announcing something to the gods or authority. 诉 (sù): 讠 (speech radical) + 斥 (to scold/reject). It depicts the act of speaking or complaining. Together, they mean 'to let someone know'.