The kanji 告 primarily conveys the meaning of "to tell," "to inform," "to announce," or "to declare." It implies communicating information, making something known, or making a public statement. It suggests a conveying of information, often in a formal or official context.

・On-yomi (音読み): コク (koku) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つ（げる） (tsu(geru))

⚫︎ 報告 (ほうこく) Translation: Report ⚫︎ 広告 (こうこく) Translation: Advertisement ⚫︎ 告白 (こくはく) Translation: Confession (to confess)

The kanji 告 is a phono-semantic compound. It is composed of two parts: 口 (くち/kuchi) meaning "mouth" and 牛 (うし/ushi) meaning "cow." The cow was sometimes used in ancient rituals. The character therefore suggests "to tell" something in a solemn or official way, perhaps a message relayed by a religious official. The mouth speaks, and the cow is a representative element related to rituals and conveying the message.