‘填表’ is a compound verb meaning 'to fill out (a) form'. It combines 填 (tián), which means 'to fill' or 'to complete', and 表 (biǎo), meaning 'form', 'chart', or 'table'. Together, they describe the everyday action of entering personal, official, or administrative information into designated blanks on a printed or digital document. This word is commonly used in contexts like immigration, school registration, medical check-ups, job applications, and government services.

The term is neutral in register and widely understood across age groups and regions. While it can appear in formal settings, it’s also used casually — for example, a teacher might say ‘请填表’ ('Please fill out the form') to students. Unlike some verbs that require aspect markers, 填表 often appears bare in instructions but readily takes aspect particles like 了 or 过 when describing completed or prior actions (e.g., 我已经填表了). It functions as a single verbal unit and does not take an object — you don’t say *填表一张*; instead, you’d specify the form separately if needed (e.g., 填这张表).