公开
gōngkāi · HSK 3
publish
📢 公开 = public (公) + open (开) — make public, open up
公 means public/common; 开 means open. Together 公开 literally reads as public-open, i.e. to make something openly known, publish, or disclose to everyone rather than keep it private.
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.'
开 — two hands 廾 + door 门 (open gate)
Originally written 開, showing two hands (廾) lifting the bar (一) off a gate (門) to open it. The simplified form 开 keeps the two-hands element and drops the gate. Core meaning 'to open' extended to 'start, operate, bloom'.