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公安 (gōng ān) — (noun) public security authorities; police (in China); (noun) public safety (the concept)

Definition

公安 refers to China's public security authorities — the institution, not individual officers (use 警察 for a police officer). Pairs with 局 to form 公安局 ('public security bureau').

noun
public security authoritiespolice (in China)public safety (the concept)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zài gōng ān jú gōng zuò.
    He works at the public security bureau.
  • 公安。
    gōng ān Rén yuán hěn kuài jiù dào le.
    The public security personnel arrived very quickly.
  • 公安。
    Zhè jiàn shì yǐ jīng bào gào gōng ān le.
    This matter has been reported to the public security authorities.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

公gōngpublic
安ānsafety

“公” means public and “安” means safety, so the word refers to public security.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Open 公 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Crime & Police

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