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公事公办 (gōng shì gōng bàn) — to handle official business impartially; to put public duty before personal considerations

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'handle official matters by official rules' — i.e., do the job impartially and put public duty ahead of personal ties.

idiom
to handle official business impartiallyto put public duty before personal considerations

Examples

  • ，公事公办，。
    Zài gōng zuò zhōng, wǒ men yīng gāi gōng shì gōng bàn, bù néng yǒu sī xīn.
    At work, we should handle matters impartially and not have selfish motives.
  • 公事公办，。
    Tā zuò shì yí xiàng gōng shì gōng bàn, cóng bù piān tǎn rèn hé rén.
    He always handles things impartially and never favors anyone.
  • ，公事公办，。
    Zuò wéi lǐng dǎo, bì xū gōng shì gōng bàn, wéi hù gōng píng.
    As a leader, one must handle matters impartially and uphold fairness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

公事public affairs
公gōngpublic事shìaffairs
偏正Modifier + head
公办handle publicly
公gōngpublicly办bànhandle
偏正Modifier + head

公事 means public affairs and 公办 means handling them publicly; together it expresses impartial official conduct.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 辦; 办 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辦bàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 辦 combines 力 (strength) with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 办 is a later shorthand.

Open 办 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesWorkplace & Office

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