How to Write 共 (gòng) — Meaning “Together / Total”

Think of the top part 廿 (twenty) and the bottom part 八 (eight). If you add 20 and 8, you get 28, which is a total—just like the meaning of 共. This visual sum helps you recall that 共 means 'total' or 'altogether'.

Write the top part (廿) with three horizontal strokes and two vertical strokes, keeping it compact and centered. Then the bottom 八 should be slightly wider than the top, with the left stroke slanting down-left and the right stroke slanting down-right. A common mistake is making the bottom 八 too narrow or the top too tall, which ruins the balance.

共 has a top made of 廿 (two stacked tens) and a bottom 八 (open), while 公 has a top 八 (open) and a bottom 厶 (private shape). 六 has a dot and a horizontal line on top, then a bottom 八. Remember: 共 = twenty + eight, 公 = eight + private, 六 = dot + line + eight.

共 appears in common words like 一共 (altogether, in total) and 共同 (common, joint). You often hear 一共多少钱? ('How much in total?') in shopping. Note that 公共 (public) is used for public facilities, and 共 is also in political terms like 共同 (together) and 共产党 (Communist Party), reflecting its meaning of unity.

Common words containing 共 include: 一共 (yī gòng) — altogether; in total; 共同 (gòng tóng) — Common / Joint; 公共 (gōng gòng) — Public.