Fairness and openness created by dividing away private, selfish concerns. Public, shared, official, fair, or male. Top 八 (divide/open) splits the private 厶 below, making it open to all.
公人 is not a natural Chinese word; use 公务员 for 'civil servant'.
公的 alone sounds incomplete or colloquial for 'male animal'; for 'public' use 公共的.
公 means 'public' or 'official', while 工 means 'work' or 'labor'.
| Dimension | 公 | 工 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | public, official, fair | work, labor, worker |
| Example | 公司 (company) | 工作 (job) |
| Common mistake | Writing 工司 instead of 公司 | Writing 公作 instead of 工作 |
公 is rarely used alone in modern HSK 1 Chinese; it usually appears in compounds.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Use 公 in compounds like 公司, 公园 | Using 公 alone to mean 'public' |
| Example | 我去公园。 (I go to the park.) | 我去公。 (unnatural) |
| Note | 公 is a bound morpheme in most HSK 1 words | Treating 公 as a free-standing noun |
Learn the fascinating story behind the Chinese idiom '东山再起' (Dongshan Zaiji), which means to make a comeback. Discover its historical roots and modern usage.
比如，一个 公司 破产了，老板又重新创业赚钱，我们就可以说“他东山再起了”。
当年乔布斯被踢出苹果 公司 ，十年后，他又重回苹果，这件事也可以说“乔布斯东山再起了。”
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
今天是我到中为 公司 工作的第五天。
他也在中为 公司 工作，但是因为周一我来 公司 的时候，他去上海了，所以我没有看见他。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
旁边他 公司 的一位副总赶紧抓起 公筷 ，夹了一块儿和牛放到他碟子里。
他摇下车窗跟我说了句，改天有空儿来我 办公室 坐坐。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
上个星期，我们 公司的 六个人去北京开会。
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
晚上，大中去 公司 前边的一个小饭店吃饭。
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
一天，胡之适邀请元真到他研究院的 办公室 去做客。
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