公职

• Pinyin: gōng zhí
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = public, government; 职 = 耳 (ear) + 戠 — post, duty, official position

Meaning

Public office; government position. An official post or role in government, a public institution, or a state organ.

Holding 公职 entails legal accountability to the public and specific prohibitions, such as restrictions on concurrent business activities. Officials who abuse their positions or accept bribes can be removed from 公职 (开除公职) and face criminal liability. A standard term in formal legal, judicial, and administrative language.

Examples

1. 该官员因受贿被依法撤销公职并移送司法机关追究刑事责任。 The official was removed from public office for bribery in accordance with the law and handed over to judicial authorities for criminal prosecution.
2. 担任公职者须按规定如实申报个人及家庭财产状况。 Those who hold public office must truthfully declare their personal and family assets as required.
3. 她经过激烈的内心斗争，最终辞去公职，全力投身创业。 After an intense inner struggle, she ultimately resigned from public office and devoted herself fully to starting a business.

Usage Guide

Context: government, law, administration, accountability

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 受贿官员被开除公职并判处有期徒刑五年。(The official convicted of bribery was dismissed from public office and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.)
• 他扎根基层公职岗位三十年，始终廉洁奉公。(He served in a grassroots public position for thirty years, maintaining integrity throughout.)

Don't Say

• 用'公职'泛指所有职业岗位 — 公职 specifically refers to government or public-institution roles; use 职位 or 岗位 for general job positions

Origin & History

公 (public/government) + 职 (post; duty; position)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Civil servants and officials