公元

gōngyuán

noun HSK 4 #16,180

Meanings

1 CE; Common Era
2 AD (Anno Domini)

Characters

first; origin; yuan

Examples

公元前221年，秦始皇统一了中国。

Gōngyuán qián èr èr yī nián, Qínshǐhuáng tǒngyī le Zhōngguó.

In 221 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China.

这座建筑建于公元十世纪。

Zhè zuò jiànzhù jiàn yú gōngyuán shí shìjì.

This building was constructed in the 10th century CE.

Tips

usage

公元前 (gōngyuán qián) means 'BC' or 'BCE' — literally 'before the common era'. 公元后 is rarely used since 公元 alone implies CE/AD.

Stroke Order

公 gōng

元 yuán