公墓
gōng mù · HSK 7
public cemetery
⚰️ 公墓 = public (公) + grave (墓); shared burial ground
公 means public or communal (same 公 as 公园 public park, 公司 company). 墓 is grave or tomb. Together: a public cemetery, as opposed to a private family burial plot.
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.'
墓 — grass 艹 + 莫 (phonetic, 'sunset')
A semantic-phonetic compound. The 土 'earth' element at the bottom signals burial mound, while 莫 (originally a sun setting in grass) supplies the sound. The character means 'grave' or 'tomb,' with 莫 also hinting at the sense of life's end.