公民

• Pinyin: gōng mín
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = 八 (divide) + 厶 (private, inverted) — public; 民 = pictograph originally depicting common people

Meaning

Citizen. A person who legally belongs to a country and has rights and duties under its laws.

A formal term referring to someone who holds the citizenship of a country. Used in legal, political, and civic contexts. Common phrases: 公民权利 (civil rights), 公民义务 (civic duties), 中国公民 (Chinese citizen). More formal than 老百姓 (ordinary people).

Examples

1. 每个公民都有选举的权利。 Every citizen has the right to vote.
2. 他是一位中国公民。 He is a Chinese citizen.
3. 遵守法律是每个公民的义务。 Obeying the law is the duty of every citizen.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, civic, news

Tone: official

Do Say

• 作为公民，我们应该遵守法律。(As citizens, we should obey the law.)
• 她去年成为了美国公民。(She became an American citizen last year.)

Don't Say

• 公园里的公民在散步。(Don't use 公民 casually for 'people' — it sounds overly formal and legalistic. Say 公园里的人们在散步.)

Origin & History

Compound of 公 (public/civic) and 民 (people). Together they denote a person belonging to the public body of a state — a citizen.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal