Kiokun Logo
公
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

public

HSK 6 N2
Human →Relations →Groups
gōng
コウ、ク
おおやけ
공
Pictograph of a earthen jar for holding liquid, now written as 瓮. The current meaning "public" is a phonetic loan.
Components
八 eight+ 口 mouth =
公 public
八 Iconic component
bā eight
Depicts handles of a jar.
口 Iconic component
kǒu mouth
Depicts the opening of a jar.
Notes
Similar Characters
尚 esteem兌 convert (trad)兑 cash (simp)叭 trumpet柬 letter酋 chieftain兮 exclamatory particle分 divide/minute半 half胤 descendant刅 to create圙 enclosed pasture廛 a store扒 pick pockets趴 prostrate oneself畟 plough詹 verbose侃 upright and strong兽 bestial (simp)冋 a desert
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze
Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Bronze
Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
公
Regular
Modern
Chinese
公 [gōng]
public; collectively owned; common; international (e.g. high seas, metric system, calendar); make public; fair; just; Duke, highest of five orders of nobility 五等爵位[wǔ​děng​jué​wèi]; honorable (gentlemen); father-in-law; male (animal)
Japanese
君 、 公 (rare) きみ 同音
  1. pronoun familiar you; buddy; pal (sometimes considered male language; referring to someone of equal or lower status)
  2. noun monarch; ruler; sovereign; (one's) master (orig. meaning)
  3. pronoun politeobsolete he; she
公 こう 同音

noun

  1. public affair; government matter; the state; the government; the public
  2. duke; prince

suffix

  1. Sir; Lord (after the name of a high-ranking person)
  2. familiar or derogatory suffix (after a person, animal, etc.)
公 おおやけ 同音
  1. adj-nonoun official; governmental; formal
  2. adj-nonoun public (use, matter, forum, etc.); common
  3. noun being public knowledge; being out in the open; exposure to public view (as 公にする or 公になる)
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (3)
宿題を忘れるなんて君は不注意だった。
It was careless of you to forget your homework.
多くの国が公の場所での喫煙を禁止する法律を通過させている。
Many countries have passed laws to prohibit people from smoking in public places.
その老人は１０年前に公の生活から引退した。
The old man retired from public life ten years ago.
Japanese Names
公 あきら
Akira female given name
公 いさお
Isao given name
公 きみ
Kimi female given namesurname
公 きみのり
Kiminori unclassified name
公 きみひろ
Kimihiro given name
公 きん
Kin given name
公 こう
Kō given name
公 こうしょう
Kōshou unclassified name
公 こうじ
Kōji unclassified name
公 さとし
Satoshi male given name
公 しずか
Shizuka female given name
公 たかし
Takashi unclassified name
公 ただし
Tadashi given name
公 とおる
Tooru given name
公 ひろし
Hiroshi given name
公 ひろみ
Hiromi female given name
公 ひろむ
Hiromu given name
CHINESE WORDS (200)
公司 [gōng​sī] #355
(business) company
办公室 [bàn​gōng​shì] #568
office
办公室 [bàn​gōng​shì] #568
office
公寓 [gōng​yù] #1,102
apartment building
公平 [gōng​píng] #1,235
fair
公园 [gōng​yuán] #1,304
park (for public recreation)
公园 [gōng​yuán] #1,304
park (for public recreation)
公开 [gōng​kāi] #2,465
public
公开 [gōng​kāi] #2,465
public
公布 [gōng​bù] #4,321
to announce
190 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 君 [きみ] #471
you
⭐ 宿 [やど] #2,145
lodging
⭐ 公園 [こうえん] #2,414
(public) park
⭐ 君たち [きみたち] #3,186
you (plural)
⭐ 主人公 [しゅじんこう] #3,573
protagonist
⭐ 公開 [こうかい] #6,112
opening to the public
⭐ 公式 [こうしき] #6,638
official
⭐ 公表 [こうひょう] #7,262
official announcement
⭐ 不公平 [ふこうへい] #7,960
unfairness
⭐ 公爵 [こうしゃく] #8,151
prince
190 more items
KOREAN WORDS (80)
공연 #4,755
performance; show
공주 #5,344
princess
공포 #10,531
announcement; declaration
공식 #12,257
being official; being state
공중 #13,123
public
주인공 #16,567
main character
공유 #22,565
public ownership
공개 #22,860
announcement; pronouncement
공공 #27,587
being public
공증 #37,928
notarization
70 more items