How to Write 公 (gōng) — Meaning “Public, official, or male”

Imagine the top 八 as two arms spreading open, and the bottom 厶 as a small table. This picture can remind you of a public meeting where everyone gathers around a shared table. The open arms show it's open to all.

Write the top 八 first: a left-falling stroke (撇) then a right-falling stroke (捺). Then write the bottom 厶: a left-falling bending stroke (撇折) followed by a dot (点). A common mistake is making the bottom part too wide or writing it like a triangle—keep it narrow and centered.

八 is just two strokes forming an open shape, while 公 has a closed bottom part (厶) below the 八. 六 has a dot on top, a horizontal line, and a curved stroke at the bottom—it looks very different from 公's square-like bottom. Remember: 公 is 八 plus a small 'private' part below.

公 appears in common words like 公园 (park), 公司 (company), and 公共 (public). It can also mean 'male' (e.g., 公鸡 rooster) or be an honorific for an elderly man (e.g., 老公公 grandpa). Culturally, 公 is a noble title meaning 'duke' in historical contexts.

Common words containing 公 include: 公园 (gōng yuán) — Park; 公司 (gōng sī) — Company; 公共 (gōng gòng) — Public.