公家

gōngjiā

noun #33,540

Meanings

1 the state; the government; the public sector
2 (historical) the imperial court / ruling house
3 the public purse

Characters

house; family; institution

Examples

这辆车是公家的，不能私用。

Zhè liàng chē shì gōngjiā de, bùnéng sīyòng.

This car belongs to the state; it can't be used for private purposes.

费用由公家报销。

Fèiyòng yóu gōngjiā bàoxiāo.

The expenses will be reimbursed by the public purse.

Tips

register

Slightly old-fashioned / colloquial. In modern formal writing 政府 or 国家 is preferred; 公家 still appears in everyday contrasts like 公家的 vs 私人的 ("belonging to the state" vs "belonging to a private individual").

history

In classical texts 公家 referred to the ruling house or imperial court — the modern "government / public" sense is a republican-era extension.

Stroke Order

公 gōng

家 jiā