公务员 gōngwùyuán civil servant
civil servant; public servant
How to remember 公务员: 公 public + 务 affairs + 员 member = civil servant.
Characters
How it is used
- A civil servant / government employee - 考公务员 (kǎo gōngwùyuán) to sit the civil-service exam; 公务员考试 (the fiercely competitive civil-service exam).
- Refers to state administrative staff, a prized stable career (铁饭碗 'iron rice bowl').
- 公 fair/public + 务 affairs + 员 staff-member.