公众
gōngzhòng
The Chinese word for public is 公众 (gōngzhòng).
While 公众 can function as an adjective meaning 'public', it is most frequently used as a noun meaning 'the public' or 'the masses'.
Meaning: able to be known or seen by everyone (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 公众 is composed of 公 (public/common) and 众 (multitude/crowd).
Which one should you use?
Use 公众 (gōngzhòng) when referring to the people/masses, but use 公共 (gōnggòng) when referring to things that are shared or available to everyone, such as 公共汽车 (public bus) or 公共场所 (public place).
How do you pronounce it?
gōngzhòng
Did you know?
- The character 公 originally depicted a male deer, which was once used to symbolize the male head of a household or a fair, impartial leader.
- In modern Chinese, the character 公 is also used as a prefix to denote the male gender of an animal, such as a 'rooster' or 'male cat'.
- The character 众 (zhòng) is visually constructed by stacking three copies of the character 人 (person), literally representing a 'crowd' through repetition.
Examples in context
- 汤姆知道在公众场合怎么样自处。Tom knows how to behave in public.This sentence shows how to use 公众 regarding behavior in public.Tatoeba #5095209 by mirrorvan, translation #3446921 by CK
- 展览大大地吸引了公众的注意。The exhibition has drawn much attention from the public.This sentence demonstrates how the public's attention can be drawn.Tatoeba #799203 by fucongcong, translation #799136 by U2FS
- 公众意见的平衡仍是他的关切。The balance of public opinion remains in his favor.This sentence illustrates the concept of public opinion using 公众.Tatoeba #1192614 by dandan4doris, translation #271229 by Zifre
- 这个问题事关 公众 利益。This question concerns the public interest.
- 公众人物Public figure
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new park being built in the city.
- 雨婷 Yuting这个公园是属于公众的吗？Zhège gōngyuán shì shǔyú gōngzhòng de ma?Is this park for the public?
- 志强 Zhiqiang是的，它是面向公众开放的。Shì de, tā shì miànxiàng gōngzhòng kāifàng de.Yes, it is open to the public.
- 雨婷 Yuting那志强，我们可以随便进去吗？Nà Zhìqiáng, wǒmen kěyǐ suíbiàn jìnqù ma?Then, Zhiqiang, can we just go in freely?
- 志强 Zhiqiang当然可以，那是公共空间。Dāngrán kěyǐ, nà shì gōnggòng kōngjiān.Of course, it is a public space.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
