公里
gōnglǐ · HSK 2
kilometer
📏 公里 = public + li (old distance unit) → kilometer
公 means public/standard, 里 is a traditional Chinese distance unit (~500m). Together they form the standardized unit: kilometer. The 公 prefix marks metric/standardized units in Chinese (公斤 = kilogram, 公升 = liter).
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.'
里 — 田 (field) + 土 (earth)
Originally a pictograph combining 田 (field) and 土 (earth), depicting cultivated land where people lived. It came to mean 'village' or 'hometown,' and by extension a unit of distance (about 500 meters). The 'inside' meaning is borrowed; that sense was traditionally written 裏 or 裡.