====== cáibào: 财报 - Financial Report, Earnings Report ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** caibao, 财报, Chinese financial report, earnings report in Chinese, what does caibao mean, company report, business Chinese, corporate finance China, 公司财报, 季度财报, 年度财报
  * **Summary:** **财报 (cáibào)** is the essential Chinese term for a **financial report** or **earnings report**. This document is the official summary of a company's financial performance, detailing its income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. For anyone investing in or doing business with Chinese companies, understanding the `财报` is crucial for assessing a company's health, profitability, and future prospects.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** cáibào
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun
  * **HSK Level:** N/A (HSK 6+ / Business Chinese)
  * **Concise Definition:** A formal report detailing a company's financial activities and position.
  * **In a Nutshell:** Think of a `财报` as a company's official "report card" for a specific period (usually a quarter or a year). It tells investors and the public exactly how the business is doing: did it make money (profit) or lose money (loss)? What does it own (assets) and what does it owe (liabilities)? It's the single most important document for judging a company's financial health.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **财 (cái):** This character means "wealth," "money," "riches," or "property." The radical on the left, 贝 (bèi), originally depicted a cowrie shell, which was used as an early form of currency in ancient China. Thus, characters with 贝 often relate to money and value.
  * **报 (bào):** This character means "to report," "to announce," or a "report/newspaper." The left side is a "hand" radical (扌), suggesting the action of delivering or presenting something. The right side provides the sound and contributes to the meaning of informing.
  * When combined, **财报 (cáibào)** literally translates to a "wealth report" or "financial announcement"—a straightforward and logical name for what it is.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
The `财报` is a universal concept in modern business, but its role in China has unique cultural undertones. In the context of China's rapidly developing, high-stakes economy, the release of a `财报` is a major event that can create significant "waves" (波动, bōdòng) in the stock market.
A strong `财报` is not just about numbers; it's also about **face (面子, miànzi)**. A company with excellent financial results brings great prestige to its leadership, signals stability to its employees, and demonstrates its power and competence to competitors and the government. Conversely, a poor `财报` can lead to a significant loss of face.
Compared to Western business culture, where the primary focus of a financial report is on shareholder value and legal compliance (e.g., meeting GAAP or IFRS standards), the Chinese `财报` can sometimes be viewed through an additional lens of state-level economic goals and social stability. While transparency is the stated goal, foreign investors often apply extra scrutiny to the `财报` of Chinese companies, reflecting historical concerns about accounting practices. However, as China's economy integrates further globally, the standards and reliability of its corporate financial reporting are continuously improving.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
`财报` is a formal and standard term used in business, finance, and news media. You will encounter it constantly when reading about the stock market or specific companies.
  * **Releasing a Report:** Companies **发布财报 (fābù cáibào)**, meaning they "publish/release a financial report."
  * **Types of Reports:** Reports are typically time-based.
    * **季度财报 (jìdù cáibào):** Quarterly financial report (often shortened to 季报, jìbào).
    * **年度财报 (niándù cáibào):** Annual financial report (often shortened to 年报, niánbào).
  * **Analyzing a Report:** Investors and analysts **看财报 (kàn cáibào)** or **分析财报 (fēnxī cáibào)** to make investment decisions. The results can be described as:
    * **财报超预期 (cáibào chāo yùqī):** The report exceeded expectations.
    * **财报不及预期 (cáibào bù jí yùqī):** The report fell short of expectations.
The term is neutral in connotation and is used in formal written and spoken contexts.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:** 
    * 阿里巴巴将于下周发布最新**财报**。
    * Pinyin: Ālǐbābā jiāngyú xiàzhōu fābù zuìxīn **cáibào**.
    * English: Alibaba will release its latest financial report next week.
    * Analysis: A common sentence structure you'd see in a news headline. `发布 (fābù)` is the standard verb for "releasing" or "publishing" a report.
  * **Example 2:** 
    * 投资者正在仔细分析这家公司的**财报**，以决定是否购买其股票。
    * Pinyin: Tóuzīzhě zhèngzài zǐxì fēnxī zhè jiā gōngsī de **cáibào**, yǐ juédìng shìfǒu gòumǎi qí gǔpiào.
    * English: Investors are carefully analyzing the company's financial report to decide whether to buy its stock.
    * Analysis: This shows the primary purpose of a `财报`—to inform investment decisions. `分析 (fēnxī)` means "to analyze."
  * **Example 3:** 
    * 这家科技公司的季度**财报**远超市场预期，股价大涨。
    * Pinyin: Zhè jiā kējì gōngsī de jìdù **cáibào** yuǎn chāo shìchǎng yùqī, gǔjià dàzhǎng.
    * English: This tech company's quarterly earnings report far exceeded market expectations, and its stock price surged.
    * Analysis: `远超预期 (yuǎn chāo yùqī)` is a key phrase meaning "far exceeded expectations," a very positive sign for investors.
  * **Example 4:** 
    * 他们的年度**财报**显示公司去年亏损严重。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen de niándù **cáibào** xiǎnshì gōngsī qùnián kuīsǔn yánzhòng.
    * English: Their annual financial report shows that the company suffered serious losses last year.
    * Analysis: This demonstrates the negative side. `亏损 (kuīsǔn)` means "to have a deficit/loss."
  * **Example 5:** 
    * 你想成为一个成功的投资者，就必须学会怎么看**财报**。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng chéngwéi yī gè chénggōng de tóuzīzhě, jiù bìxū xuéhuì zěnme kàn **cáibào**.
    * English: If you want to be a successful investor, you must learn how to read a financial report.
    * Analysis: `看财报 (kàn cáibào)` doesn't just mean "look at," but implies "read and understand" or "analyze."
  * **Example 6:** 
    * 这份**财报**的数字好像有点问题，我们需要请审计师来检查一下。
    * Pinyin: Zhè fèn **cáibào** de shùzì hǎoxiàng yǒudiǎn wèntí, wǒmen xūyào qǐng shěnjìshī lái jiǎnchá yīxià.
    * English: The numbers in this financial report seem a bit off; we need to ask an auditor to check it.
    * Analysis: This highlights the importance of verification. The measure word for `财报` is `份 (fèn)`.
  * **Example 7:** 
    * **财报**电话会议将在明天上午十点举行。
    * Pinyin: **Cáibào** diànhuà huìyì jiāng zài míngtiān shàngwǔ shí diǎn jǔxíng.
    * English: The earnings call (financial report telephone conference) will be held at 10 AM tomorrow morning.
    * Analysis: Shows how `财报` can be used as a modifier for other business events, like a conference call.
  * **Example 8:** 
    * 由于**财报**结果令人失望，该公司股价下跌了超过百分之十。
    * Pinyin: Yóuyú **cáibào** jiéguǒ lìng rén shīwàng, gāi gōngsī gǔjià xiàdiē le chāoguò bǎifēnzhī shí.
    * English: Due to the disappointing financial report results, the company's stock price fell by more than ten percent.
    * Analysis: This sentence clearly links a bad `财报` to its direct consequence on the stock market.
  * **Example 9:** 
    * 在阅读**财报**时，我们不仅要关注利润，还要注意现金流。
    * Pinyin: Zài yuèdú **cáibào** shí, wǒmen bùjǐn yào guānzhù lìrùn, hái yào zhùyì xiànjīnliú.
    * English: When reading a financial report, we must not only pay attention to profit, but also to cash flow.
    * Analysis: This provides practical advice, showing that `财报` analysis is multi-faceted.
  * **Example 10:** 
    * 每一家上市公司都必须定期公布其**财报**。
    * Pinyin: Měi yī jiā shàngshì gōngsī dōu bìxū dìngqī gōngbù qí **cáibào**.
    * English: Every publicly listed company must periodically publish its financial reports.
    * Analysis: This explains a fundamental rule of the stock market. `上市公司 (shàngshì gōngsī)` is a "publicly listed company."
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **`财报 (cáibào)` vs. `报告 (bàogào)`:** This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
    * `报告 (bàogào)` is a general term for "report." It can be a work report (工作报告), a research report (研究报告), or a school report (学习报告).
    * `财报 (cáibào)` is *specifically* a financial report. It's a type of `报告`.
    * **Incorrect:** 我需要写一份公司的**财报**。 (Wǒ xūyào xiě yī fèn gōngsī de cáibào.) - Unless you are the Chief Financial Officer, this is wrong.
    * **Correct:** 我需要写一份工作**报告**。 (Wǒ xūyào xiě yī fèn gōngzuò bàogào.) - I need to write a work report.
    * **Correct:** 公司的会计部门正在准备**财报**。 (Gōngsī de kuàijì bùmén zhèngzài zhǔnbèi cáibào.) - The company's accounting department is preparing the financial report.
  * **Not a Simple Summary:** A `财报` isn't just a one-page summary of profit. It's a comprehensive set of documents that typically includes three main parts:
    1.  **利润表 (lìrùnbiǎo):** Income Statement (shows profit and loss).
    2.  **资产负债表 (zīchǎn fùzhàibiǎo):** Balance Sheet (shows assets and liabilities).
    3.  **现金流量表 (xiànjīn liúliàngbiǎo):** Cash Flow Statement (shows the movement of cash).
    Knowing these components will give you a much deeper understanding when you hear them mentioned in relation to a `财报`.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[公司]] (gōngsī) - Company; the entity that creates and releases a `财报`.
  * [[股票]] (gǔpiào) - Stock/share; its market price is heavily influenced by the `财报`.
  * [[投资者]] (tóuzīzhě) - Investor; the primary audience for a company's `财报`.
  * [[利润]] (lìrùn) - Profit; one of the most important metrics found in a `财报`.
  * [[亏损]] (kuīsǔn) - Financial Loss; the opposite of profit, also detailed in the `财报`.
  * [[季度]] (jìdù) - Quarter (of a year); a common reporting period for a `财报`.
  * [[年度]] (niándù) - Annual/Yearly; the reporting period for a company's main `财报`.
  * [[报告]] (bàogào) - Report (general); the broader category to which `财报` belongs. It's important to know the distinction.
  * [[审计]] (shěnjì) - Audit; the professional examination of a `财报` to ensure its accuracy.
  * [[上市公司]] (shàngshì gōngsī) - Publicly listed company; a company required by law to release its `财报` to the public.