公平

• Pinyin: gōng píng
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = 八 (divide) + 厶 (private, inverted) = impartial; 平 = pictograph of a level surface

Meaning

Fair; just; equitable. Describes treating everyone equally without bias.

Used in everyday situations and formal contexts alike. Can describe rules, decisions, treatment, or competitions. The negative form 不公平 (unfair) is equally common.

Examples

1. 老师对每个学生都很公平。 The teacher is very fair to every student.
2. 这个比赛不太公平。 This competition is not very fair.
3. 我们应该公平地对待每一个人。 We should treat everyone fairly.

Usage Guide

Context: justice, competitions, social situations

Tone: principled, evaluative

Do Say

• 这样做不公平。(Doing it this way is unfair.)
• 规则对所有人都是公平的。(The rules are fair to everyone.)

Don't Say

• 不要把公平和公正混淆 — 公平 emphasises equal treatment, while 公正 emphasises being just and righteous. They overlap but are not identical.

Origin & History

Compound of 公 (public, impartial) and 平 (level, balanced), meaning 'publicly balanced' — i.e. fair and impartial.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal