Meaning of 公安
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (Ministry of) Public Security
- public safety
- public security
- see 公安縣|公安县[Gong1 an1 Xian4]
How to use 公安
公安 usually refers to the police and public security system in mainland China, and it often appears in set phrases like 公安局 (gōng'ānjú, public security bureau) and 公安部 (Gōng'ānbù, Ministry of Public Security). It sounds more official than 警察 (jǐngchá). Example: 他在公安局工作。(Tā zài gōng'ānjú gōngzuò.) He works at the public security bureau.
公 (gōng) means public, as in 公司 (gōngsī) and 公平 (gōngpíng), and 安 (ān) means safe or peaceful, as in 安全 (ānquán). Put them together and you get the people who keep the public safe: 公安 (gōng'ān), public security.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 公安 to mean a single police officer, but 公安 names the institution or system. For one person, say 警察 (jǐngchá) or 公安人员 (gōng'ān rényuán). Also keep 安 in first tone; it is not ǎn.
公安 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
公 gōng · public · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
安 ān · calm · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 公安.
| 安全 | ānquán | safe; secure; safety; security |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company; firm; corporation |
| 晚安 | wǎn'ān | Good night!; Good evening! |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office; business premises |
| 安静 | ānjìng | quiet; peaceful |
| 公平 | gōngpíng | fair; impartial |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park (for public recreation) |
| 公里 | gōnglǐ | kilometer |
| 公路 | gōnglù | highway; road |
| 平安 | píng'ān | safe and sound; well |
| 公斤 | gōngjīn | kilogram (kg) |
| 公交车 | gōngjiāochē | public transport vehicle; town bus |
Questions about 公安
What does 公安 mean?
公安 (gōng'ān) means "(Ministry of) Public Security; public safety" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 公安?
公安 is made of 2 characters: 公 (4 strokes), 安 (6 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 公安 an HSK word?
Yes. 公安 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 公安 and 警察?
警察 (jǐngchá) is the everyday word for police or a police officer. 公安 is the official name for the public security organs, and you see it on signs, documents and police cars in mainland China.
Is 公安 also a place name?
Yes. Written as Gōng'ān, it can refer to 公安县 (Gōng'ān Xiàn), a county in Hubei province. The context usually makes it clear whether the place or the police is meant.