表示 means 'to express' or 'to indicate' — it refers to conveying thoughts, feelings, intentions, or information through words, actions, symbols, or gestures. The character 表 (biǎo) originally meant 'external surface' or 'to show', while 示 (shì) means 'to demonstrate' or 'to make known', often appearing in characters related to showing, signaling, or revealing (e.g., 示意 'to signal', 显示 'to display'). Together, they form a verb emphasizing intentional communication of meaning, not just passive appearance.

This word is commonly used in formal and neutral contexts — in writing, speeches, official statements, or polite conversation — to describe how something stands for or communicates a particular idea. It frequently appears with objects like feelings (e.g., 感谢 'gratitude'), attitudes (e.g., 支持 'support'), or abstract concepts (e.g., 尊重 'respect'). Unlike more colloquial verbs like 说 (shuō, 'to say') or 显得 (xiǎn de, 'to appear'), 表示 carries a sense of deliberate, often thoughtful or socially appropriate, expression.