Meaning of 公路
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- highway
- road
Measure word: 條|条
How to use 公路
公路 usually means a road or highway between cities or through the countryside, not a street inside a city. It often appears with words like 高速 (gāosù) to form 高速公路 (gāosù gōnglù), an expressway. Example: 这条公路很长。(Zhè tiáo gōnglù hěn cháng.) This highway is very long.
公 (gōng) means public, and 路 (lù) means road. A 公路 is a public road built for everyone, like a highway connecting towns.
Common mistake: Learners often use 公路 for a city street, but in town people say 马路 (mǎlù) or 街 (jiē). Also remember the measure word is 条 (tiáo), not 个 (gè).
公路 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
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路 lù · road · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 公路.
| 路上 | lùshang | on the road; on the way; en route |
| 走路 | zǒulù | to walk; to go on foot; to leave; to depart |
| 马路 | mǎlù | street; road |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | crossing; intersection (of roads) |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company; firm; corporation |
| 办公室 | bàngōngshì | office; business premises |
| 公平 | gōngpíng | fair; impartial |
| 公园 | gōngyuán | park (for public recreation) |
| 道路 | dàolù | road; path |
| 公里 | gōnglǐ | kilometer |
| 公斤 | gōngjīn | kilogram (kg) |
| 路边 | lù biān | curb; roadside; wayside |
Questions about 公路
What does 公路 mean?
公路 (gōnglù) means "highway; road" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 公路?
公路 is made of 2 characters: 公 (4 strokes), 路 (13 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 公路 an HSK word?
Yes. 公路 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 公路 and 马路?
马路 (mǎlù) is the everyday word for a street in a city, the kind you cross on foot. 公路 (gōnglù) suggests a larger road for vehicles, often outside the city or between places.
Does the 公 in 公路 mean the same as in 公司?
Both carry the idea of public or shared, but in 公司 (gōngsī) it has become part of a fixed word for company. In 公路 the sense of a public road is still easy to see.