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共 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
gòngcommonHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gònggeneralHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngto shareHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngtogetherHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngtotalHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngaltogetherHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngabbr. for 共產黨HSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòng>共产党[Gòng chǎn dǎng], Communist partyHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngall, total; together; to shareHSK 4, d, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòngabbr. for 共產黨|共产党[Gong4 chan3 dang3], Communist partyHSK 4, unknown, 6 strokes, radical 八, rank #1799, Medium
gòng(gong4) T4
  1. 1common
  2. 2general
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
gòng(gong4)

The character '共' (gòng) conveys the idea of sharing or togetherness. It is commonly used in contexts involving community, collaboration, or totality. This character can express the notion of commonality, such as in shared experiences or collective entities.

Strokes6RadicalFrequency#1799DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

'共' is prevalent in discussions about community and socialism in China, particularly in the context of the Communist Party (共产党). Understanding this character can provide insight into the collective values rooted in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a group of people holding hands together, each representing a part of a whole. The character '共' looks like two sides coming together, emphasizing unity and sharing. Pronounce it as 'gòng'—think of a gong ringing to signify unity.

Meanings of 共

gòng(gong4)
1common
2general
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 共

Simplified
6Strokes
Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1799Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 共

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Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 共

Quick Contrast

共同 (gòngtóng) vs 一起 (yīqǐ) — use 共同 when emphasizing shared characteristics or commonality, while 一起 focuses more on the act of doing something together.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a group of people holding hands together, each representing a part of a whole. The character '共' looks like two sides coming together, emphasizing unity and sharing. Pronounce it as 'gòng'—think of a gong ringing to signify unity.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse '共' with similar-sounding characters; it specifically relates to sharing and togetherness. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but is often seen in written language. Common collocations include '共同' (gòngtóng) meaning 'together' or '共识' (gòngshí) meaning 'consensus'.

HSK Study Tips

Although '共' is not strictly categorized in the HSK levels, it is essential for HSK 3 learners as it appears in phrases like '共同努力' (gòngtóng nǔlì) meaning 'work together'. Focus on its use in expressions that emphasize collective action.

Cultural Note

'共' is prevalent in discussions about community and socialism in China, particularly in the context of the Communist Party (共产党). Understanding this character can provide insight into the collective values rooted in Chinese society.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '共' with '共鸣' (gòngmíng) which means 'resonance'; the former focuses on sharing. A mistake might be saying '我共喜欢这个' instead of '我喜欢这个' (I like this) without the need for '共'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 共

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Etymology of 共

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of two hands sharing an object.

Memory Hint

Two hands 八 holding one object 廾

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 共?

Decomposition of 共

IDS Structure⿳廾一八
Full Character
=
gong3
top
yi1
middle
ba1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 共?

Write 共

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 共

共 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

一____四十二块五。

The total is 42.50 yuan.

Example Sentences for 共 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我不开车,公共汽车条件又太糟糕。

wǒ bù kāi chē, , gōng gòng qì chē tiáo jiàn yòu tài zāo。

I don't drive and the buses are quite hopeless.
2
我看见路易丝慢慢地走向公共汽车站。

wǒ kàn jiàn lù yì sī màn màn dì zǒu xiàng gōng gòng qì chē zhàn。

I saw Louise walking slowly to the bus stop.
3
毫无疑问,他们身上也有人所共有的弱点。

háo wú yí wèn, , tā mén shēn shàng yě yǒu rén suǒ gòng yǒu de ruò。

They have the usual quota of human weaknesses, no doubt.
4
是的,我想和你共度一生。

shì de, , wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ gòng dù yī。

Yes, I want to share my life with you.
5
圣犹大教堂是做礼拜的公共场所.

shèng yóu dà jiào táng shì zuò lǐ bài de gōng gòng cháng suǒ.

St Jude's church is a public place of worship.
6
我认为取得成功唯一的共同要素是勤奋。

wǒ rèn wéi qǔ dé chéng gōng wéi yī de gòng tóng yào sù shì qín fèn。

I think the only common denominator of success is hard work.
7
爱沙尼亚议会已经通过了宣布共和国完全独立的决议。

ài shā ní yà yì huì yǐ jīng tōng guò le xuān bù gòng hé guó wán quán dú lì de jué yì。

The Estonian parliament has passed a resolution declaring the republic fully independent.
8
这可能是人所共知的事实,但我却不知道。

zhè kě néng shì rén suǒ gòng zhī de shì shí, , dàn wǒ què bù zhī。

It may be a well-known fact, but I didn't know it.
9
作者们不了解出版界的实际情况,这是人所共知的。

zuò zhě mén bù le jiě chū bǎn jiè de shí jì qíng kuàng, , zhè shì rén suǒ gòng zhī。

Authors are famously ignorant about the realities of publishing.
10
他们正用德语交谈,这是他们唯一的共同语言。

tā mén zhèng yòng dé yǔ jiāo tán, , zhè shì tā mén wéi yī de gòng tóng yǔ。

They were conversing in German, their only common language.

Cultural Notes for 共

🏮Cultural insight

'共' is prevalent in discussions about community and socialism in China, particularly in the context of the Communist Party (共产党). Understanding this character can provide insight into the collective values rooted in Chinese society.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, the emphasis on individualism often contrasts with the Chinese focus on community and collective action represented by '共'.

Word Family of 共

Compounds34
gong1to provide
Bao4surname Bao
gong1respectful
殿dian4palace hall
xiang4lane
Hong2surname Hong
fen4manure, dung; shit, excrement
hong1roar of laughter (onom.)
hong1to bake
gong3to salute, to bow; arched; arch
Gong1to give, to present; reverential
xun4mild, modest, obedient; southeast; 5th of the 8 trigrams
gong3stake, post; pillar; peg
gong3precious stone; a county in Sichuan
hong2budding, flourishing
ju2horse-drawn carriage
yi4different, strange, unusual; foreign; surprising
hong4boisterous; clamor, noise
gong1to give, to present; reverential
Words Containing This Character20
gòngcommon
共同gòngtóngcommon
公共gōnggòngpublic
一共yígòngaltogether
共有gòngyǒuin all
共享gòngxiǎngto share
共和国gònghéguórepublic共和國
共事to work together
共同点common ground共同點
总共zǒnggòngaltogether總共
共识gòngshíconsensus共識
共和党Republican Party共和黨
共产党Communist Party共產黨
中华人民共和国People's Republic of China中華人民共和國
共产主义communism共產主義
中国共产党Communist Party of China中國共產黨
核磁共振nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
共鸣gòngmíngresonance (physics)共鳴
中共abbr. for 中國共產黨|中国共产党[Zhōng​guó​Gòng​chǎn​dǎng], Chinese Communist Party
共计gòngjìto sum up to共計
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 供 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 共

Common phrases include '共同' (gòngtóng) meaning 'together' and '共享' (gòngxiǎng) meaning 'to share together'.