NEW HSK 5 / OLD HSK 5–6 | Upper-Intermediate

📢 Your exam results are announced. A company unveils a new phone. Someone posts a video online.

In Chinese, you might hear two words in these situations:

公布 (gōngbù) and 发布 (fābù).

Both can mean “announce” or “make public,” but they’re not always used in the same way.

Let’s look at the difference!

公布与发布的区别：教学插图 1

1. 公布 (gōngbù) — To Announce or Make Public

公布 (verb) means to make information known to the public.

It’s often used for results, lists, decisions, and important information.

💡 Think: People can now find out the information.

Common Expressions

  • 公布结果 (gōngbù jiéguǒ) — announce the results

  • 公布成绩 (gōngbù chéngjì) — announce exam results

  • 公布名单 (gōngbù míngdān) — announce a list of names

Examples

① 学校已经公布了考试成绩。

Xuéxiào yǐjīng gōngbù le kǎoshì chéngjì.

The school has announced the exam results.

② 比赛结果明天公布。

Bǐsài jiéguǒ míngtiān gōngbù.

The competition results will be announced tomorrow.

③ 学校公布了参加比赛的学生名单。

Xuéxiào gōngbù le cānjiā bǐsài de xuéshēng míngdān.

The school announced the list of students taking part in the competition.

✅ Remember: When results or information become publicly known, 公布 is often a natural choice.

公布与发布的区别：教学插图 2

2. 发布 (fābù) — To Release, Issue, or Publish

发布 (verb) means to release, issue, or publish something for an audience.

It’s commonly used for news, official notices, products, and online content.

💡 Think: Something is being released or shared publicly.

Common Expressions

  • 发布消息 (fābù xiāoxi) — release news or an update

  • 发布通知 (fābù tōngzhī) — issue a notice

  • 发布新产品 (fābù xīn chǎnpǐn) — unveil or launch a new product

  • 发布视频 (fābù shìpín) — publish or post a video

Examples

① 公司今天发布了一款新手机。

Gōngsī jīntiān fābù le yì kuǎn xīn shǒujī.

The company unveiled a new smartphone today.

② 学校发布了新的通知。

Xuéxiào fābù le xīn de tōngzhī.

The school issued a new notice.

③ 她昨天在网上发布了一段视频。

Tā zuótiān zài wǎngshàng fābù le yí duàn shìpín.

She posted a video online yesterday.

✅ Remember: 发布 is often used when organizations or individuals release information, products, or content to the public.

公布与发布的区别：教学插图 3

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💬 A Useful Spoken Chinese Tip

When talking about social media, 发 (fā) often sounds more casual than 发布 (fābù).

For example:

我刚发了一个视频。

Wǒ gāng fā le yí ge shìpín.

I just posted a video.

Both 发视频 and 发布视频 are natural, but 发视频 is especially common in everyday conversation.

3. Can 公布 and 发布 Be Used Interchangeably? 🤔

Sometimes, yes!

Look at these two sentences:

① 学校公布了新的考试安排。

Xuéxiào gōngbù le xīn de kǎoshì ānpái.

The school announced the new exam arrangements.

👉 公布 emphasizes making the information known.

② 学校发布了新的考试安排。

Xuéxiào fābù le xīn de kǎoshì ānpái.

The school released the new exam arrangements.

👉 发布 emphasizes issuing or releasing the information.

Both sentences are natural and have very similar meanings.

The difference is mainly about what you’re emphasizing.

Don’t worry about finding a completely different English translation every time. In many situations, both words can simply mean “announce.”

4. Common Mistake: Choosing the Wrong Verb

When you’re talking about posting a video online, 发布 is a much better choice than 公布.

❌ 我公布了一个新视频。

✅ 我发布了一个新视频。

Wǒ fābù le yí ge xīn shìpín.

I posted a new video.

Why?

Because you’re publishing content, not announcing information such as exam results or a list of names.

On the other hand, when talking about exam results, 公布成绩 is the more familiar expression.

📌 A quick way to remember:

  • Exam results or a list of names? → 公布

  • A new product or social media post? → 发布

  • Official information or announcements? → Both may work, depending on the context.

5. Quick Practice ✍️

Choose 公布 or 发布.

① 学校明天会 ______ 考试结果。

Xuéxiào míngtiān huì ______ kǎoshì jiéguǒ.

The school will announce the exam results tomorrow.

② 公司准备 ______ 一款新手机。

Gōngsī zhǔnbèi ______ yì kuǎn xīn shǒujī.

The company is preparing to unveil a new smartphone.

③ 我刚在网上 ______ 了一段视频。

Wǒ gāng zài wǎngshàng ______ le yí duàn shìpín.

I just posted a video online.

④ 学校 ______ 了新的考试安排。

Xuéxiào ______ le xīn de kǎoshì ānpái.

The school announced the new exam arrangements.

✅ Answers

① 公布 (gōngbù)

② 发布 (fābù)

③ 发布 (fābù)

④ Both are correct!

For ④, 公布 emphasizes making the arrangements known, while 发布 emphasizes releasing the information.

6. One Last Thing to Remember

公布 (gōngbù) → Make information public.

Think: results, lists, decisions.

发布 (fābù) → Release or publish something.

Think: news, products, videos.

The two words sometimes overlap, but learning their common combinations will help you choose more naturally.

💬 Your Turn!

How would you say this in Chinese?

“The exam results will be announced tomorrow.”

Try using 公布 in your answer!

Keep learning Chinese, one useful expression at a time!

— SenMandarin