公众 — meaning in English: public

gōngzhòng · Learn this word with quizzes, examples and more on Maspeak.

Guess the translation for public

铁路

tiělù

公众

gōngzhòng

一般

yībān

赛事

sàishì

对手

duìshǒu

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neutral common

Usage

Native speakers often use 公众 (gōngzhòng) in discussions related to community events, government announcements, or social movements. For example, a local government might refer to 公众 when inviting citizens to participate in public consultations or town hall meetings.

Synonyms & nuances

While 公众 (gōngzhòng) translates to 'public', a close synonym is 社会 (shèhuì), meaning 'society'. The key difference is that 公众 is often used in contexts emphasizing the public interest or audience, whereas 社会 refers more broadly to the entire social structure and relationships within it.

Culture

The term 公众 (gōngzhòng) is composed of two characters: 公 (gōng), meaning 'public' or 'common', and 众 (zhòng), meaning 'crowd' or 'multitude'. Together, they reflect the idea of a collective community, which has deep roots in Confucian ideals emphasizing the value of society as a whole. Interestingly, the word is often tied to discussions around public opinion and civic duty in modern Chinese discourse.

FAQ

Q.What does 公众 mean in English?

公众 (gōngzhòng) means 'public' in English. It's used to describe things that are open or accessible to the general population.

Q.How do you use 公众 in a sentence?

You can use 公众 in sentences like '公众的意见很重要' (The public's opinion is very important) to emphasize the collective voice of the community.

Q.Are there any common mistakes when using 公众?

A common mistake is using 公众 interchangeably with 私人 (sīrén), which means 'private'. Remember that 公众 refers specifically to public matters, while 私人 pertains to private or personal issues.

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