公益
gōngyì · HSK 7
public good/welfare
🤝 公 = public + 益 = benefit
公 means public or communal, and 益 means benefit or gain. Together 公益 names benefit shared by the public — charity work, nonprofit causes, anything done for the common good rather than private profit.
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.'