公民
gōngmín · HSK 3
citizen
🧑⚖️ 公民 = 公 (public) + 民 (people) — a person of the public realm
公 means public or communal; 民 means the people or populace. Together they label someone who belongs to the public body of a state — a citizen with rights and duties in the shared realm.
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.'