公立
gōnglì · HSK 7
established and maintained by the government
🏛️ 公 (public) + 立 (establish) = publicly established
公 means public or communal; 立 means to stand or establish. Together they mark something set up by the state — public schools, public hospitals — as opposed to 私立 (privately established).
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.'
立 — person standing on ground (大 over 一)
Pictograph of a person standing with arms outstretched on the ground line below. The original oracle bone form clearly shows a frontal human figure planted on the earth. The core meaning 'to stand' extended to 'establish, set up, erect.'