公民 (gōngmín) — citizen
HSK 5 | noun | a legal member of a state with rights and responsibilities
公民 (gōngmín)
公民 refers to a person who is a legally recognized member of a state, possessing both rights granted by the state and responsibilities toward it.
Meanings
- [noun] citizen (of a country or state)
Example Sentences
每位公民都有义务遵守国家的法律和法规。 Měi wèi gōngmín dōu yǒu yìwù zūnshǒu guójiā de fǎlǜ hé fǎguī. Every citizen has the obligation to abide by the laws and regulations of the country.
投票是公民参与民主政治的重要方式。 Tóupiào shì gōngmín cānyù mínzhǔ zhèngzhì de zhòngyào fāngshì. Voting is an important way for citizens to participate in democratic politics.
政府有责任保障公民的基本权利和自由。 Zhèngfǔ yǒu zérèn bǎozhàng gōngmín de jīběn quánlì hé zìyóu. The government has a responsibility to protect citizens' basic rights and freedoms.
培养学生的公民意识是现代教育的重要目标。 Péiyǎng xuéshēng de gōngmín yìshí shì xiàndài jiàoyù de zhòngyào mùbiāo. Cultivating students' civic awareness is an important goal of modern education.
他已经取得了该国的永久居留权，但尚未成为正式公民。 Tā yǐjīng qǔdé le gāi guó de yǒngjiǔ jūliú quán, dàn shàngwèi chéngwéi zhèngshì gōngmín. He has obtained permanent residency in that country but has not yet become an official citizen.
积极参与社区事务是负责任的公民应有的行为。 Jījí cānyù shèqū shìwù shì fùzérèn de gōngmín yīngyǒu de xíngwéi. Actively participating in community affairs is behavior befitting a responsible citizen.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 公民权利 | civil rights |
| 公民义务 | civic duties |
| 公民意识 | civic awareness |
| 公民社会 | civil society |
| 公民教育 | civic education |
| 中国公民 | Chinese citizen |
Usage Notes
公民 is the formal, legal term for "citizen," used in legal documents, official discourse, and educational contexts. In everyday speech, 中国人 (Chinese person) or 本国人 (person of this country) is more common than 中国公民. However, 公民 is essential in discussions of rights, responsibilities, law, and politics.
公民 differs from 国民 (guómín), which also means "national" or "citizen" but tends to appear in older texts or historical/political contexts. 公民 emphasizes the individual's legal status and civic relationship with the state, while 国民 has a more collective or national-identity flavor.
Memory Hook
公 means "public" and 民 means "people/citizen" -- a 公民 is one who belongs to the public sphere, a member of the civic body with both rights and duties.