共有

• Pinyin: gòng yǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 共 = two hands together — shared/altogether; 有 = 又 (hand) + 月 (meat/moon) — to possess

Meaning

To have in total; to share ownership of. Indicates the total number of something or joint possession.

Has two main uses: (1) 'to total / to have altogether,' placed before a number to state a total count, e.g., 共有三十人 (there are thirty people in total); (2) 'to share / own jointly,' used in formal contexts for shared ownership of property or resources.

Examples

1. 我们班共有四十个学生。 Our class has forty students in total.
2. 这栋楼共有二十层。 This building has twenty floors altogether.
3. 这两个国家共有一条边界线。 These two countries share a border.

Usage Guide

Context: statistics, description, everyday

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 这个公司共有五百名员工。(This company has a total of five hundred employees.)
• 我们共有三天的假期。(We have a total of three days of holiday.)

Don't Say

• 我共有了一本书。(Don't use 共有 for something you alone own — it implies a total count or shared ownership. Say 我有一本书.)

Origin & History

Compound of 共 (together/altogether) and 有 (to have). Together they mean 'to have altogether' or 'to possess jointly.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal