Meaning
just; honorable (designation); public; common
Chinese: 公共、公正或公家。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “gong” becomes a different word in each tone. 公 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 公司gōng sīcompany; firm; corporation
- 办公室bàn gōng shìoffice; business premises
- 公园gōng yuánpark (for public recreation)
- 公平gōng píngfair; impartial
- 公路gōng lùhighway; road
Example Sentence
我们坐公共汽车去上班。Wǒ men zuò gōng gòng qì chē qù shàng bān.We take the bus to work.
我们Wǒ menwe坐zuòto sit公共汽车gōng gòng qì chēbus去qùto go上班shàng bānto go to work。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
八 (to divide, turn away from) over 厶 (the old form of 私, ‘private’): to set the private aside — ‘public, common; fair, just; male (of animals); duke; grandfather’.
A way to remember it
Turn away (八) from the private (厶) — public, fair.
Easy to confuse with
- 么‘-particle’: a similar 厶 below, but with a single stroke on top, not 八.