大众

• Pinyin: dà zhòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = pictograph of a person with arms spread; 众 = three 人 (person) stacked, meaning many people

Meaning

The public; the masses; popular. Refers to the general population or mainstream tastes.

Used both as a noun (the public/masses) and as an adjective (popular/mainstream). Common in discussions of media, culture, products, and opinions. 大众化 means 'popularised' or 'made accessible to all.' Also the Chinese name for Volkswagen (literally 'people's car').

Examples

1. 这款产品的价格很亲民，适合大众消费。 The price of this product is very affordable, suitable for mass consumption.
2. 大众的意见应该被尊重和考虑。 The opinion of the public should be respected and considered.
3. 这部电影符合大众的审美，票房非常好。 This film suits mainstream tastes and did very well at the box office.

Usage Guide

Context: media, culture, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个品牌走的是大众路线。(This brand follows a mass-market approach.)
• 大众传媒对社会影响很大。(Mass media has a big impact on society.)

Don't Say

• 把大众和群众完全等同 (Don't equate 大众 with 群众 — 大众 means the general public/mainstream; 群众 has more of a political or collective connotation)

Origin & History

大 (big/great) + 众 (crowd/many people) — the great crowd, referring to the general public.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal