gòng
common; general; share; together; altogether
我们共进晚餐。
wǒmen gòngjìn wǎncān.
We had dinner together.
他们共用一个房间。
tāmen gòngyòng yīgè fángjiān.
They shared a room.
我们共同努力，取得了成功。
wǒmen gòngtóng nǔlì, qǔdéle chénggōng.
We worked together and achieved success.
同 (tóng)
same
合 (hé)
together
独 (dú)
alone
私 (sī)
private
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The Chinese character 共 (gòng) is composed of two parts: 厶 (sī) and 口 (kǒu). 厶 originally meant "private" or "self", while 口 represents "mouth". Together, they form the character 共, which means "together", "common", or "public".The oracle bone script of 共 depicts two people sharing a bowl of food, symbolizing the idea of sharing and community. In ancient China, 共 was often used in the context of communal living and cooperation. For example, the phrase "共食" (gòngshí) means "to eat together", while "共事" (gòngshì) means "to work together".Over time, the meaning of 共 expanded to include the idea of "public" or "common". For example, the phrase "公共汽车" (gōnggòng qìchē) means "public bus", while "公共场所" (gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ) means "public place".In modern Chinese, 共 is still commonly used in both its original and extended meanings. It is an important character that represents the values of cooperation, sharing, and community.
