公
gōng · HSK 6
public
🏛️ Top 八 (eight, splitting) over 厶 (private) — split open what's private = public
Etymology: 公 combines 八 (divide, split) on top with 厶 (the old form of 私 'private/self') below. Splitting open what was private yields what is shared by all — hence public, common, collective.
公 — eight 八 + private 厶
Originally an ideograph showing 八 (to divide) over 厶 (private/self), depicting the act of splitting away from selfish interest. The combination came to mean 'public' or 'fair,' the opposite of private. It later extended to senses like 'duke,' 'lord,' and 'grandfather.'