功 (gōng) — achievement; meritorious deed; contribution; work (physics)
Definition
功 is a bookish, single-character word meaning 'meritorious deed' (立功, 记一功), paired with 劳 in 功劳 to stress credit for service. In physics, 功 means 'work' (force × distance) — an unrelated sense sharing the same character.
noun
achievementmeritorious deedcontributionwork (physics)
Easily confused
Examples
- 功。Tā wèi gōng sī lì xià le dà gōng.He made a great contribution to the company.
- ，功。Zài wù lǐ xué zhōng, jì suàn gōng de gōng shì shì lì chéng yǐ jù lí.In physics, the formula for calculating work is force times distance.
- 功。Lǎo bǎn yīn wèi tā chū sè de biǎo xiàn gěi tā jì le yì gōng.The boss credited him with a merit for his outstanding performance.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.
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