共

• Pinyin: gòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 共 = 廾 (two hands) + horizontal strokes — hands holding something together, meaning shared or altogether

Meaning

Altogether; in total; in all. An adverb used to sum up a total quantity or number.

Primarily used as an adverb meaning 'altogether' or 'in total' when counting or summarising. Also appears as a prefix meaning 'common' or 'shared' in compounds like 共同 (together/jointly), 公共 (public), and 共和国 (republic). As a standalone adverb, often interchangeable with 一共.

Examples

1. 我们班共有四十个学生。 Our class has forty students in total.
2. 这次旅行我们共花了五千块钱。 We spent five thousand yuan altogether on this trip.
3. 从北京到广州坐高铁共需要八个小时。 It takes a total of eight hours to go from Beijing to Guangzhou by high-speed rail.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, counting

Tone: factual

Do Say

• 这本书共有三百页。(This book has 300 pages in total.)
• 我们共去了五个城市。(We visited five cities in total.)

Don't Say

• 我共喜欢这个 (Don't use 共 to modify emotions or preferences — it counts totals; say 我也喜欢 for 'I also like' or 我们都喜欢 for 'we all like')

Origin & History

Originally depicted two hands (廾) holding something together. The core meaning of 'together' or 'shared' evolved into the counting adverb 'in total.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal