有功 (yǒu gōng) — to have merit, to perform a meritorious service

Definition

有功 means to have performed meritorious service — used in formal/written contexts to credit someone's contribution (to a mission, the country, etc.). Common in set phrases like 立功 and 论功行赏.

verb
to have meritto perform a meritorious service

Examples

  • 有功。
    Tā zài zhè cì rèn wu zhōng yǒu gōng.
    He performed meritorious service in this mission.
  • 有功。
    Zhè xiē kē xué jiā duì guó jiā yǒu gōng.
    These scientists have merit toward the country.
  • ，。
    Tā lì le dà gōng, shòu dào biǎo zhāng.
    He performed great meritorious deeds and was commended.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
功gōngmerit

To have 有 merit 功 means to perform meritorious service.

Characters in this word

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.