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広報 (こうほう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun
public relations ; PR ; publicity ; public information
Refers to the dissemination of information to the public, often by organizations or government bodies. Can denote the activity, the department, or the materials themselves.
彼かの
女じょ
は
広こう
報ほう
部ぶ
で
働はたら
い
て
いる
。
She works in the public relations department.
2
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
publicizing ; making public
The act of publicizing or disseminating information. Often used as a suru-verb (広報する).
Written forms 広こう 報ほう Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling for public relations and publicity.
弘こう 報ほう Usage <1%
Rare variant using 弘 (vast, spread). Not commonly used in modern Japanese.
Similar words 宣せん 伝でん 宣伝 is more about advertising and promotion, often with a commercial or persuasive intent, while 広報 focuses on providing information to the public, often from a neutral or official standpoint.
公こう 報ほう 公報 specifically refers to official bulletins or gazettes issued by public authorities, whereas 広報 is broader, covering all public relations and information activities.
Etymology Compound of 広 (wide, broad) and 報 (report, inform). The spelling 弘報 uses a variant character with a similar meaning of 'spread' or 'vast', but is now rare.