Onyomi: ク, コウ · Kunyomi: おおやけ · Meanings: governmental, official, prince, public
Kanji for governmental, official, prince, public
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The kanji 公 shows a person (八) with an element representing hands or work, symbolizing someone acting for the community. In ancient times, it represented fairness, public service, and matters concerning everyone. 公 came to mean public, official, or fair, capturing the idea of shared responsibility and openness.
A person acting for everyone — 公 means public, official, or fair.
Imagine someone working for the community’s good — that’s 公, the kanji for public and fairness.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 公 | おおやけ | official, governmental, formal | common JLPT-N1 Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 君 | きみ | you, buddy, pal | common JLPT-N4 Pronoun |
| 公 | こう | public affair, government matter, the state, the government, the public | Noun |
| 公園 | こうえん | (public) park | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 公務員 | こうむいん | public employee, government employee, public-sector worker, public servant, civil servant | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 公平 | こうへい | fairness, impartiality, justice, objectivity | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |
| 公害 | こうがい | pollution, public nuisance, contamination | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 公式 | こうしき | official, formal | common JLPT-N2 Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun, Noun, used as a suffix |
| 公共 | こうきょう | public (facilities, service, etc.), communal | common JLPT-N2 Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 公正 | こうせい | justice, fairness, impartiality | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Na-adjective (keiyodoshi) |