Understanding "公安" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 公安
• Pinyin: gōng'ān
• Literal Meaning: public + peace/safety (public security)
• Primary Meaning: public security; the police or public security organs (especially in mainland China)

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage: 公安 is the standard term for public security as an institution. In everyday and official Chinese, it often refers to the police force or a public security bureau rather than the abstract idea of “safety” alone. You will see it in names such as 公安局 (public security bureau), 公安机关 (public security organs), and 公安部 (Ministry of Public Security). For an individual officer, people more often say 警察 (jǐngchá, “police officer”) or 民警 (mínjǐng, “people’s police”). 公安 sounds more official and institutional; 警察 is the more common everyday word for the person in uniform. Do not confuse it with general words for safety such as 安全 (ānquán).
• Character Breakdown: 公 (gōng) means “public,” “common,” or “official.” 安 (ān) means “peace,” “calm,” or “safe.” Together they mean “public peace” or “public security,” which developed into the name of the police system responsible for maintaining order.

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 他在市公安局工作。
• Pinyin: Tā zài shì gōng'ānjú gōngzuò.

• English: He works at the municipal public security bureau.

• Chinese: 遇到紧急情况，可以打110联系公安。

• Pinyin: Yùdào jǐnjí qíngkuàng, kěyǐ dǎ yāo yāo líng liánxì gōng'ān.

• English: In an emergency, you can dial 110 to contact the police.

• Chinese: 维护社会治安是公安的重要职责。

• Pinyin: Wéihù shèhuì zhì'ān shì gōng'ān de zhòngyào zhízé.
• English: Maintaining public order is an important duty of the public security organs.

Cultural Notes (if applicable)

In mainland China, 公安 is closely tied to the formal police system under the Ministry of Public Security (公安部). Local offices are usually called 公安局. The emergency number associated with them is 110. In news, official notices, and ID-related procedures (such as household registration), 公安 is the word you will meet most often. In casual speech, speakers usually switch to 警察 when talking about a specific officer. The same characters can appear in older or formal phrases about “public peace,” but for learners the practical meaning is almost always “the police / public security authorities.”

Conclusion

Remember 公安 (gōng'ān) as “public” (公) plus “peace/safety” (安): it means public security and, in practice, China’s police institutions. Use 公安 for the organization or the system, and 警察 when you mean an individual police officer.

Sources and Further Reading

• MDBG Chinese Dictionary: 公安
• Wiktionary: 公安
• HSK vocabulary reference dataset

Dictionary links are provided for independent reference. Example sentences and learning notes on this page are educational explanations rather than dictionary quotations.