(gōng kāi) - to make public, to disclose; open, public in Mandarin
gōngkāiTraditional: 公開
Translation
to make public, to disclose; open, public
Word origin
A compound of 公 (gōng, public, common) and 开 (kāi, to open), literally to open to the public.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 公 (gōng, public) + 开 (kāi, to open)
Stroke order
公
开
Examples
。
The company decided to make these figures public.
。
Their relationship is now out in the open.
。
This is an open meeting.
。
He opposed the plan openly.
。
I do not want my name made public.
公开 (gōng kāi) is both a verb and an adjective. As a verb it means to release something that was previously hidden: figures, a name, a relationship, a document. As an adjective it means open or public, as opposed to private or secret.
It also works adverbially without any extra marker. 他公开批评政府 means he criticised the government openly, and no 地 is needed.
The trap is the pull towards English public. 公开 is about the absence of secrecy, not about state ownership or general access. A public library is 公共图书馆, a public toilet is 公共厕所, and a state-owned firm is 国有企业. Reach for 公共 when you mean shared or communal, and keep 公开 for things that have been brought into the open.
Where this fits
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公开: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "公开" (to make public, to disclose; open, public): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 54.