Writing Balance Rule: The character is vertically balanced. The top horizontal stroke is shorter, the middle vertical stroke runs straight down the center, and the bottom horizontal stroke is significantly wider to form a stable foundation.
1. Meaning
work, labor, or project
workerskill, profession, or craft
Noun / VerbNeutral#labor#occupation#construction
Sample Usage
我明天要上班。
Wǒ míngtiān yào shàng bān.
I have to go to work tomorrow.
人工智能
réngōng zhìnéng
artificial intelligence
2. Sound
/[kʊŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
工
gōnggong1
|
++
¯(55)
=gōng
Initial Consonant
g
Type: Unaspirated Velar
Sounds like: hard g sound like in 'good'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue pressed against the soft palate
Final Rhyme
ong
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: rhymes with rung / song
Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'h-' (h) with final '-ong' (oong).
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
5 → 5 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is pitched at the top of your vocal range, matching a steady, flat high note just like the English interjection 'Aha!' held at a high plateau.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse Tone 1 (high level 55) with Tone 4 (falling 51). Keep your pitch steady and high from start to finish.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 1 is a high, steady flat line. Imagine holding a single high musical note without letting your voice waver or drop, like a choir tuning pitch.
3. Writing
Topology: Single character · Strokes: 3 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The character is vertically balanced. The top horizontal stroke is shorter, the middle vertical stroke runs straight down the center, and the bottom horizontal stroke is significantly wider to form a stable foundation.
4. Components
Radical工 · Work radical (work, labor, tool)
A pictographic representation of a carpenter's square or a tool used for measuring and building.
一 top horizontal stroke representing a beam or level
丨 vertical stroke representing the handle or plumb line
一 bottom horizontal stroke representing the base
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
24· Phonetic Root: 工 (gōng)
5. History
Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)
Origin: Originally depicted an instrument or tool used by ancient craftsmen, such as a carpenter's square, ruler, or leveling tool.
Semantic Evolution: From the physical tool used in construction, the meaning extended to the action of working or building, and eventually to workers, labor, and professions generally.
It is one of the most foundational and structurally simple characters in Chinese writing.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コウ (kō), ク (ku)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
공
Sound Shift Bridge: The -ong final often corresponds to -ung or -ou sounds in cognate borrowing layers across East Asia.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Picture a sturdy carpenter's square tool resting on a workbench. That tool represents hard WORK (gōng) and craftsmanship.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
红
hóngredAdd the silk radical (纟) on the left to indicate red-colored silk or fabric.
江
jiāngriverAdd the water radical (氵) on the left to represent a great river.
攻
gōngto attackAdd the striking/action radical (攵) on the right to show working aggressively or attacking.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
土(tǔ)
In '土' (earth), the bottom horizontal stroke is shorter than the top. In '工' (work), the bottom horizontal stroke is much wider than the top to provide a solid base.
干(gàn)
The character '干' has a vertical stroke that extends above the top horizontal line, whereas '工' has no protruding top vertical line.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
他每天都去_______。
Clue: shàng gōng / shàng bān
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the proportions of the top and bottom horizontal lines, or confusing it with '土' (earth) where the top line is longer.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the 3-stroke character '工' mean and how is it pronounced in Tone 1?
Production: How do you write the character for 'work' or 'labor' using a tool-like shape with a wide base?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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工gōngwork
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