公正
gōngzhèng · HSK 5
impartial
⚖️ 公 = public + 正 = upright; public + upright = impartial
公 means public or common (shared by all), and 正 means upright or correct. Together they describe judgment that is shared and upright — fair to everyone, not biased toward one side. Common in legal and ethical contexts.
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.'
正 — one 一 + stop 止
Originally an ideograph showing a foot (止) advancing toward a target line (一), meaning 'to march straight toward' a city or goal. From this came the senses 'upright,' 'correct,' and 'proper.' The military sense survives in 征 (to campaign), which took over the original 'march' meaning.