公立 (gōng lì) — public (of institutions such as schools, hospitals, libraries)

Definition

Used only for institutions (schools, hospitals) to mean state-run — the direct opposite of 私立. Unlike 公共 ('shared/communal') or 公开 ('open, disclosed'), 公立 always classifies an institution by its funding.

adjective
public (of institutions such as schools, hospitals, libraries)

Examples

  • 公立
    Zhè suǒ dà xué shì gōng lì de hái shì sī lì de?
    Is this university public or private?
  • 公立
    gōng lì Yī yuàn de shōu fèi bǐ sī lì yī yuàn dī.
    The fees at public hospitals are lower than at private hospitals.
  • 公立
    Wǒ nǚ ér zài fù jìn de yì suǒ gōng lì xiǎo xué shàng xué.
    My daughter goes to a public elementary school nearby.

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.

gōngpublic
established

公 means public and 立 means established, so the word describes institutions set up by the 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 →

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

立 pictures a person standing on the ground.

Open 立 →

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