公务员

• Pinyin: gōng wù yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = public; 务 = 夂 (movement) + 力 (strength) — to attend to affairs; 员 = 口 (mouth) + 贝 (shell/money) — a member or personnel

Meaning

Civil servant; government employee. A person who works in government administration.

Refers to employees of government agencies at all levels. In China, becoming a 公务员 requires passing a highly competitive national civil service exam (国考). The position is associated with job stability, good benefits, and social prestige. Common phrase: 考公务员 (take the civil service exam).

Examples

1. 她毕业以后想考公务员。 She wants to take the civil service exam after graduating.
2. 公务员的工作比较稳定。 A civil servant's job is relatively stable.
3. 他爸爸是一名公务员，在政府部门工作。 His father is a civil servant who works in a government department.

Usage Guide

Context: career, government, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 很多大学生都想当公务员。(Many university students want to become civil servants.)
• 今年的公务员考试竞争很激烈。(Competition for this year's civil service exam is very fierce.)

Don't Say

• 餐厅的公务员很热情。(Don't use 公务员 for restaurant staff — it specifically means government employees. Say 餐厅的服务员很热情.)

Origin & History

Compound of 公务 (official duties/public affairs) and 员 (member/person). 公务 combines 公 (public) and 务 (affairs), while 员 denotes a person fulfilling a role.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional