抄录 (chāo lù) is a formal, written verb meaning 'to transcribe' — that is, to copy text carefully and accurately by hand or digitally, often from one source to another. The first character 抄 (chāo) means 'to copy' and carries the sense of reproduction without alteration; the second character 录 (lù) means 'to record' or 'to document', emphasizing preservation of content. Together, they convey meticulous copying for archival, academic, or administrative purposes — not casual note-taking.

This word appears frequently in educational, bureaucratic, and scholarly contexts: students may 抄录 lecture notes or historical documents; archivists 抄录 old manuscripts; and officials 抄录 official announcements. It implies fidelity and intentionality — the copied text must match the original precisely. Unlike more general terms like 写 (xiě, 'to write') or 记 (jì, 'to take notes'), 抄录 stresses verbatim reproduction and is rarely used in spoken, informal conversation.