公 gōng public
public; common; metric
How to remember 公: 八 eight + 厶 cocoon = public. Eight curious schoolchildren gather around a butterfly cocoon hanging from a bench in the public park.
Component breakdown
公 = 八 eight + 厶 cocoon
- 八 eight
- 厶 cocoon
Eight curious schoolchildren gather around a butterfly cocoon hanging from a bench in the public park.
How it came to be
Two strokes pulling away from each other, set over an arm curled round its own little hoard. Dividing up what somebody was holding back: that is the character for public, and for fair.
How it is used
- 'Public / common' - 公园 (gōngyuán) park, 公共 (gōnggòng) public, 公路 (gōnglù) highway, 办公室 (bàngōngshì) office.
- 公司 (gōngsī) means company; 公交车 (gōngjiāochē) is a public bus.
- Also fronts metric units: 公斤 (gōngjīn) kilogram, 公里 (gōnglǐ) kilometer, 公尺 (gōngchǐ) meter.
Characters built with 公
Words with 公
- 公司gōngsīcompanyHSK 1
- 公交车gōngjiāochēbusHSK 2
- 办公室bàngōngshìofficeHSK 3
- 公园gōngyuánparkHSK 3
- 公斤gōngjīnkilogramHSK 3
- 公里gōnglǐkilometerHSK 4
- 公共gōnggòngpublicHSK 4
- 公路gōnglùhighwayHSK 4
- 办公bàngōngto handle official businessHSK 4
- 公务员gōngwùyuáncivil servantHSK 5
- 公寓gōngyùapartment buildingHSK 5
- 公布gōngbùto announceHSK 5
- 公平gōngpíngfairHSK 5
- 外公wàigōngmother's fatherHSK 5
- 老公lǎogōnghusbandHSK 5
- 公主gōngzhǔprincessHSK 6
- 公众gōngzhòngpublicHSK 6
- 公元gōngyuánCE (Common Era)HSK 6
- 公告gōnggàopostHSK 6
- 公安gōng’ānPublic SecurityHSK 6
- 公开gōngkāiopenHSK 6
- 公正gōngzhèngjustHSK 6
- 公民gōngmíncitizenHSK 6
- 公益gōngyìpublic goodHSK 6
- 公认gōngrènpublicly known (to be)HSK 6
- 主人公zhǔréngōnghero (of a novel or film)HSK 7
- 公事gōngshìwork-related mattersHSK 7
- 公关gōngguānpublic relationsHSK 7
- 公办gōngbànstate-runHSK 7
- 公务gōngwùofficial businessHSK 7
- 公式gōngshìformulaHSK 7
- 公款gōngkuǎnpublic moneyHSK 7
- 公然gōngránopenlyHSK 7
- 公用gōngyòngpublicHSK 7
- 公示gōngshìto make known to the publicHSK 7
- 公约gōngyuēconvention (i.e. international agreement)HSK 7
- 公职gōngzhícivil serviceHSK 7
- 公证gōngzhèngnotarizationHSK 7
- 公费gōngfèiat public expenseHSK 7
- 公道gōngdaofairHSK 7
Example sentences
- 大家在等公车。 Dàjiā zài děng gōngchē.People are waiting for the bus.
- 他一个人在公司。 Tā yí gè rén zài gōngsī.He's at the company by himself.
- 我走了一公里路。 Wǒ zǒule yì gōnglǐ lù.I walked one kilometer.
- 我去公园了。 Wǒ qù gōngyuán le.I went to the park.