公益性

• Pinyin: gōng yì xìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 公益 = public welfare; 性 = 忄 (heart radical) + 生 (life) — inherent nature or characteristic

Meaning

Public-interest nature; welfare-oriented characteristic. The quality of being directed toward public benefit rather than commercial profit.

Key term in policy and governance discourse. Used to classify institutions, projects, or services as non-commercial and socially oriented. Key collocations: 公益性单位 (public-interest organisation), 公益性岗位 (public-interest post for disadvantaged workers), 公益性项目 (public-interest project). Emphasises that certain domains must not be allowed to become purely profit-driven.

Examples

1. 该图书馆定位为公益性文化机构，面向全体市民免费开放。 The library is positioned as a public-interest cultural institution and is open to all residents free of charge.
2. 政府强调基本医疗卫生事业应当坚守其公益性，防止过度商业化。 The government has emphasized that basic medical and public health services must remain public-interest in nature and not become overly commercialized.
3. 社区养老服务中心属于公益性项目，不以营利为目的运营。 The community senior care center is a public-interest project and is operated not for profit.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, administration, social welfare, governance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 要切实保障公共教育的公益性，让每个孩子都能平等接受教育。(We must genuinely safeguard the public-interest nature of public education so that every child can receive education on equal terms.)
• 部分公益性岗位专门为残障人士提供稳定的就业机会。(Certain public-interest posts are specifically created to provide stable employment opportunities for people with disabilities.)

Don't Say

• 用'公益性'描述个人热心公益的精神 — use 公益心 or 乐善好施 for a person's charitable spirit; 公益性 describes an institutional or organisational attribute

Origin & History

公益 (public welfare) + 性 (nature; characteristic; -ness suffix)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Policy professionals