公司

Etymology · 词源

“公”的历史构形可以这样理解：早期字形以图像方式表达意义。这些部件的作用依据历史字形判断，不等同于今天看到的任意笔画组合。 “司”的历史构形可以这样理解：历史字形不能按现代笔画机械拆解。这些部件的作用依据历史字形判断，不等同于今天看到的任意笔画组合。 以上是各字的历史构形说明；“公司”作为现代词语时，应结合完整词义学习，不能把单字意义机械相加。

Originally a pictograph of a vessel for holding liquid. The original meaning is now written as 瓮, with the 瓦 (pottery) component added at the bottom. The current meaning "public" is a phonetic loan. 司 (take charge) and its mirror image 后 (empress) were originally used interchangeably. The origin of both characters is unclear. These notes explain the characters’ formation. Learn 公司 as a complete modern word rather than mechanically adding isolated character meanings.

Learning note · 学习提示：形旁通常提示意义范围，声旁通常提示较早的读音；现代普通话读音或字义可能已经发生变化。 Semantic components often suggest a meaning range, while phonetic components often reflect an earlier pronunciation; modern Mandarin sound or meaning may have changed.