公道
gōng dào , gōng dao · HSK 7
fairness
⚖️🛣️ 公 (public) + 道 (way/path) = public way → fairness or public road
公 carries the sense of 'public/shared/impartial' and 道 means 'way' or 'path'. Together: a shared path everyone walks — hence both the literal 'public highway' and the figurative 'fairness/justice that applies to all'.
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.'
道 — 辶 (walk) + 首 (head)
Originally a compound of 辶 'walk/movement' and 首 'head', depicting a path one walks while looking ahead. The literal sense 'road, way' extended metaphorically to 'method, doctrine, the Way (Dao)'. This philosophical meaning became central in Daoist and Confucian thought.