工

See also: エ [U+30A8 KATAKANA LETTER E], ㆲ [U+31B2 BOPOMOFO LETTER ONG], and Appendix:Variations of "i"

工	U+5DE5, 工 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5DE5

← 巤
[U+5DE4]

CJK Unified Ideographs

左 →
[U+5DE6]

⼯	U+2F2F, ⼯ KANGXI RADICAL WORK

← ⼮
[U+2F2E]

Kangxi Radicals

⼰ →
[U+2F30]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

See images of
Radical 48 工

工 (Kangxi radical 48, 工+0, 3 strokes, cangjie input 一中一 (MLM), four-corner 1010₀, composition ⿱一丄 or ⿱丅一)

Kangxi radical #48, ⼯.

Derived characters

Appendix:Chinese radical/工
仜, 冮, 叿, 𡉎, 妅, 屸, 𢓁, 𢖷, 扛, 江, 𨸖, 𪰆, 杠, 𬇔, 灴, 玒, 肛, 𬒬, 𥃽, 矼, 𧘍, 䉺, 紅(红), 缸, 羾, 𦔸, 舡, 虹, 𧢸, 訌(讧), 䜫, 豇, 䞑, 𨊧, 釭(𮣲), 𬛀, 䪦, 䫹, 𮨷, 魟(𫚉), 𩾬, 㠮
𠃖, 㓛, 㓚, 功, 卭, 㣉, 邛, 攻, 𣢈, 瓨, 𦏼, 𧈬, 𨾊, 項(项), 䲨(𬷾), 𭄟, 𡉐, 𢖶, 汞, 𭴃, 𥁁, 𬎥, 𦏺, 𧈫, 貢(贡), 𫔙, 𣒳, 𭘎, 仝, 㒰, 𡧇, 𡰱, 㞬, 𭠀, 𭥐, 杢, 巠, 𦒳, 𥃿, 𫀧, 空, 笁, 𬛸, 𠱯, 匞, 式, 疘, 𢒄, 𬮚, 𡆬, 噐, 𤔌
𠵋, 𡥴, 𦁻, 𠽇, 𡐘, 𢝘, 揑, 湼, 䛼, 毁, 恐, 𦅛, 滘, 壽, 尋, 㝷

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 325, character 1
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 8714
Dae Jaweon: page 626, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 410, character 6
Unihan data for U+5DE5

Chinese

simp. and trad.		工
alternative forms		𠜝㠪𢀚𢒅㣉𠜝㠪𢀚𢒅㣉𢒄

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 工
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (工) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
缸	kroːŋ, ɡroːŋ
篢	kluːmʔ, koːŋ
贑	*kluːmʔ
涳	ŋr'oːŋ, kʰroːŋ, *kʰoːŋ
江	*kroːŋ
肛	kroːŋ, qʰroːŋ
扛	*kroːŋ
杠	*kroːŋ
豇	*kroːŋ
茳	*kroːŋ
釭	kroːŋ, koːŋ, *kuːŋ
矼	*kroːŋ
玒	kroːŋ, koːŋ
虹	kroːŋs, koːŋs, *ɡoːŋ
腔	*kʰroːŋ
崆	kʰroːŋ, kʰoːŋ
羫	*kʰroːŋ
控	kʰroːŋ, kʰoːŋs
椌	kʰroːŋ, kʰoːŋ
悾	kʰroːŋ, kʰoːŋ, *kʰoːŋs
跫	kʰroːŋ, kʰoŋ, *ɡoŋ
啌	*qʰroːŋ
谾	qʰroːŋ, qʰoːŋ
舡	*qʰroːŋ
缻	*ɡroːŋ
項	*ɡroːŋʔ
屸	*ɡ·roːŋ
功	*koːŋ
工	*koːŋ
疘	*koːŋ
魟	koːŋ, qʰoːŋ, *ɡoːŋ
攻	koːŋ, kuːŋ
愩	*koːŋ
碽	*koːŋ
貢	*koːŋs
羾	*koːŋs
空	kʰoːŋ, kʰoːŋs
箜	*kʰoːŋ
硿	*kʰoːŋ
埪	*kʰoːŋ
鵼	*kʰoːŋ
倥	kʰoːŋ, kʰoːŋʔ, *kʰoːŋs
鞚	*kʰoːŋs
叿	*qʰoːŋ
嗊	*qʰoːŋʔ
訌	*ɡoːŋ
紅	*ɡoːŋ
仜	*ɡoːŋ
葒	*ɡoːŋ
渱	*ɡoːŋ
鴻	ɡoːŋ, ɡoːŋʔ
汞	*ɡoːŋʔ
澒	*ɡoːŋʔ
鞏	*koŋʔ
巩	*koŋʔ
銎	kʰoŋ, qʰoŋ
恐	kʰoŋʔ, kʰoŋs
蛩	*ɡoŋ
筇	*ɡoŋ
桏	*ɡoŋ
邛	*ɡoŋ

Pictogram (象形) – a bladed tool to plow the ground to mark a border. As an alternative, a carpenter's square; according to the second interpretation, the character is related to the original meaning of 巨.

Unrelated to 巠 > 𢀖 and 壬.

Etymology 1

An area word; compare Burmese ခိုင်း (hkuing:, “to order or ask someone to do something”), Old Mon kloñ (kloɲ, “to work”), Old Mon klon (klon, “to have charge of cultivation”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Cognate with 功 (OC *koːŋ, “merit; achievement”), 攻 (OC *koːŋ, *kuːŋ, “to attack”). The senses evolved in the following manner: 工 (“work artisan”) > 功 (“merit; achievement”) > 攻 (“to attack”) (ibid.).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gōng (gong¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): gong¹

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): гун (gun, I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gung¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): guung¹
Gan (Wiktionary): gung¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kûng

(Meixian, Guangdong): gung¹
Jin (Wiktionary): gung¹
Northern Min (KCR): gó̤ng
Eastern Min (BUC): gĕ̤ng / gŭng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gang¹ / gorng¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): kong / kang / khang

(Teochew, Peng'im): gang¹ / gong¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kon
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gong¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gong
  - Wade–Giles: kung¹
  - Yale: gūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gong
  - Palladius: гун (gun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: gong¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gung
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /koŋ⁵⁵/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: гун (gun, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuŋ²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gung¹
  - Yale: gūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: guung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɵŋ³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuŋ⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kûng
  - Hakka Romanization System: gung^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kuŋ²⁴/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA: /kʊŋ⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kũŋ¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gó̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔŋ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: gĕ̤ng / gŭng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /køyŋ⁵⁵/, /kuŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

gĕ̤ng - vernacular;
gŭng - literary.

Puxian Min
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gang¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: gang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ⁵³³/
- (Putian, Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: gorng¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: go̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɒŋ⁵³³/

Note:

gang1 - vernacular;
gorng1 - literary.

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kong
  - Tâi-lô: kong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kofng
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an): /kɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangpu): /kɔŋ⁵⁵/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kang
  - Tâi-lô: kang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kafng
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Philippines): /kaŋ³³/
  - IPA (Zhangpu): /kaŋ⁵⁵/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Singapore): /kaŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khang
  - Tâi-lô: khang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qafng
  - IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /kʰaŋ⁴⁴/

Note:

kong - literary;
kang - vernacular;
khang - vernacular (in 工課).

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: gang¹ / gong¹
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kang / kong
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaŋ³³/, /koŋ³³/

Note: gong1 - one of the symbols in Gongchepu.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹kon
  - MiniDict: kon^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kon
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /koŋ⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: gong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /kʊŋ³³/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /kən³³/

Middle Chinese: kuwng

Rime
Character	工
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古紅切
Baxter	kuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/kuŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/kuŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəwŋ/
Li Rong	/kuŋ/
Wang Li	/kuŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gōng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gung¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤoŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*koːŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	工	工
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gōng	gōng
Middle Chinese	‹ kuwng ›	‹ kuwng ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁoŋ/	/*kˁoŋ/
English	officer	work
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	工
Reading #	1/1
No.	4022
Phonetic component	工
Rime group	東
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	公
Old Chinese	/*koːŋ/

Definitions

工

labour; work (Classifier: 份 c)
工作 ― gōngzuò ― work

罷工／罢工 ― bàgōng ― to strike

偷工減料／偷工减料 ― tōugōngjiǎnliào ― to do shoddy work and use inferior materials
(regional or dialectal, including Southeast Asia) work; job; profession (Classifier: 份 c)
你做什麼工？／你做什么工？ ― Nǐ zuò shénme gōng? ― What is your job?

你失咗業咁耐，仲唔快啲搵返份工！ [Cantonese, trad.]
你失咗业咁耐，仲唔快啲揾返份工！ [Cantonese, simp.]
From: 開放詞典／开放词典 [Kaifang Cidian]
nei⁵ sat¹ zo² jip⁶ gam³ noi⁶, zung⁶ m⁴ faai³ di¹ wan² faan¹ fan⁶ gung¹! [Jyutping]
It's been a while since you lost your job; you need to find a new job soon!
(Northern Min, Eastern Min, Southern Min) working day; daytime; a day (24 hours)
worker; labourer
女工 ― nǚgōng ― female worker

礦工／矿工 ― kuànggōng ― miner

陶瓷工 ― táocígōng ― potter

工農／工农 ― gōngnóng ― workers and peasants
man-day
construction
工地 ― gōngdì ― construction site

竣工 ― jùngōng ― to finish construction
industry
化工 ― huàgōng ― chemical industry
engineer
skill; technique
to be good at; to be skilled in
- 昔者舜工於使人，造父工於使馬。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  昔者舜工于使人，造父工于使马。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Han shi waizhuan, 1^nd century BCE
  Xīzhě Shùn gōng yú shǐ rén, Zàofù gōng yú shǐ mǎ. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)
delicate; exquisite; fine
工巧 ― gōngqiǎo ― delicate; exquisite

Synonyms

(time period):

Dialectal synonyms of 天 (“day (24 hours)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		日
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		日, 天
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	天
	Taiwan	天
	Malaysia	天
	Singapore	天
	Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	天
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	天
Lanyin Mandarin	Ürümqi	天
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	天
	Guiyang	天
	Guilin	天
	Liuzhou	天
Cantonese	Guangzhou	日
	Hong Kong	日
	Taishan	日
	Taishan (Guanghai)	日
	Guiping (Jintian)	日
	Chongzuo (Laituan)	天
	Fusui (Qujiu)	日
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	日
	Singapore (Guangfu)	日
	Mandalay (Taishan)	日, 天
Gan	Nanchang	日
	Lichuan	日
	Pingxiang	工, 日
Hakka	Meixian	日
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	日
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	日
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	日
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	日
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	日
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	日
Huizhou	Jixi	日
Jin	Taiyuan	天
Northern Min	Jian'ou	工
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	日, 工
	Gutian	工
	Pingnan	工
	Fu'an	工
	Ningde	工
	Xiapu	工
	Zherong	工
	Shouning	工
	Zhouning	工
	Fuding	工
Southern Min	Xiamen	日
	Quanzhou	日, 工
	Anxi	工
	Yongchun	日, 工
	Zhangzhou	日
	Zhangzhou (Changtai)	日
	Zhao'an	日
	Dongshan	日
	Taipei	工, 日
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	工, 日
	Kaohsiung	工, 日
	Yilan	工, 日
	Changhua (Lukang)	工, 日
	Taichung	日, 工
	Taichung (Wuqi)	工
	Tainan	工, 日
	Taitung	日
	Hsinchu	日, 工
	Kinmen	工
	Penghu (Magong)	工
	Penang (Hokkien)	日
	Singapore (Hokkien)	工, 日
	Manila (Hokkien)	日
	Datian	工
	Pingnan (Pingtian)	日
	Guilin (Biyange)	日
	Chaozhou	日
	Shantou	日
	Singapore (Teochew)	日
	Haikou	日
	Singapore (Hainanese)	日
Puxian Min	Putian	工, 日
	Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang)	工
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	日
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	工
	Xianyou	工
	Xianyou (Fengting)	工
	Xianyou (Youyang)	工
Northern Pinghua	Guilin (Dabu)	日
	Guilin (Wutong, Lingui)	日
	Guilin (Liangjiang, Lingui)	日
	Lingchuan (Sanjie)	日
Wu	Shanghai	天, 日, 日天
	Suzhou	日
	Hangzhou	日
	Ningbo	日
	Wenzhou	日
	Jinhua	日
Xiang	Changsha	天

(work): 活 (huó), 事 (shì), 工作 (gōngzuò)

Dialectal synonyms of 職業 (“job; occupation; profession”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		職, 業
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		職業, 工作
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	工作
Northeastern Mandarin	Singapore	工, 工作
Cantonese	Guangzhou	工
	Hong Kong	工
	Singapore (Guangfu)	工
Hakka	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	頭路
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	頭路
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	頭路
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	頭路
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	頭路
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	頭路
Southern Min	Xiamen	頭路, 工課, 穡路
	Quanzhou	頭路, 工課, 穡路
	Jinjiang	頭路
	Zhangzhou	頭路, 工課, 穡路
	Taipei	頭路
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	頭路, 職業
	Kaohsiung	工課, 頭路, 穡頭, 職業
	Yilan	工課, 頭路, 職業
	Changhua (Lukang)	工課, 頭路, 職業
	Taichung	頭路, 工課, 穡頭
	Tainan	工課, 頭路, 穡頭, 職業
	Hsinchu	頭路, 工課
	Kinmen	頭路, 工課
	Penghu (Magong)	工課
	Penang (Hokkien)	工課, 工
	Singapore (Hokkien)	工, 頭路, 工課
	Manila (Hokkien)	頭路
	Jieyang	工課
	Singapore (Teochew)	工, 工課
	Singapore (Hainanese)	工
Wu	Shanghai	工作, 生活, 生意, 行當, 飯碗 figuratively, 飯碗頭 figuratively
	Shanghai (Chongming)	生活, 營生
	Suzhou	行當
	Danyang	生活
	Ningbo	生活, 行當
	Wenzhou	行當
	Jinhua	行當, 事幹, 生活

Compounds

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		工

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gōng (gong¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): gung¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gong
  - Wade–Giles: kung¹
  - Yale: gūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gong
  - Palladius: гун (gun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: gung¹
  - Yale: gūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: gung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: gung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Definitions

工

(music) Kunqu gongche notation for the note mi (3).
(music) Cantonese opera gongche notation for the note mi (3).

Derived terms

仜 (gōng)
𪛜 (gōng)
𢓁 (gōng)

References

“工”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

工

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

work, craft, art, skill
workman, artisan

Readings

Go-on: く (ku, Jōyō)
Kan-on: こう (kō, Jōyō)
Kun: たくみ (takumi, 工)、たくむ (takumu, 工む)、つかさ (tsukasa, 工)、わざ (waza, 工)

Compounds

Etymology

Kanji in this term
工
たくみ Grade: 2
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 工 – see the following entry.

【たくみ】

[noun] 工, 匠: workman, artisan, mechanic, carpenter

[noun] 工, 匠: craft, skill; means, idea

[verb] stem or continuative form of たくむ (takumu) [godan]

Alternative spellings
匠, 巧み

(This term, 工, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 工 (MC kuwng).

Historical readings

Recorded as Middle Korean 고ᇰ (Yale: kwong) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448.
Recorded as Middle Korean 고ᇰ (kwong)^訓 (Yale: kwong) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.
Recorded as Middle Korean 공 (kwong)^訓 (Yale: kwong) in Gwangju Cheonjamun (光州千字文 / 광주천자문), 1575.
Recorded as Middle Korean 공 (kwong)^訓 (Yale: kwong) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ko̞ŋ]
Phonetic hangul: [공]

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

工

Wikisource

工 (eumhun 장인 공 (jang'in gong))

hanja form^? of 공 (“master craftsman; master artisan”)

Compounds

가공 (加工, gagong)
공구 (工具, gonggu)
공단 (工團, gongdan)
공방 (工房, gongbang)
공부 (工夫, gongbu)
공사 (工事, gongsa)
공업 (工業, gong'eop)
공예 (工藝, gong'ye)
공작 (工作, gongjak)
공장 (工場, gongjang)
공학 (工學, gonghak)
목공 (木工, mokgong)
사공 (沙工/砂工, sagong)
인공 (人工, in'gong)
준공 (竣工, jun'gong)
공정 (工程, gongjeong)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]