公仆
gōng pú · HSK 7
servant
🧑💼 公 = public + 仆 = servant; literally 'public servant'
公 means public or communal (as in 公园 public park). 仆 means servant or attendant. Together 公仆 names an official who serves the people — a civil servant, framed as humble rather than ruling.
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.'