公开化 (gōng kāi huà) — to make public, to bring into the open, to publicize (formal)

Definition

A formal, written word meaning to make something public or bring it into the open — more institutional/official in tone than casual alternatives. The -化 suffix marks a process or shift toward that state.

verb
to make publicto bring into the opento publicize (formal)

Examples

  • 公开化。
    Zhè ge gōng sī jué dìng gōng kāi huà tā men de cái wù bào biǎo.
    This company decided to make their financial statements public.
  • 公开化。
    Liǎng guó de máo dùn zhú jiàn gōng kāi huà le.
    The conflict between the two countries gradually came into the open.
  • 公开化。
    Zhèng fǔ yāo qiú suǒ yǒu xìn xī bì xū gōng kāi huà.
    The government requires that all information must be made public.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

公开public
公gōngpublic开kāiopen
偏正Modifier + head
化huàmake

“公开” means public and “化” means make, so the word means to make something public.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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