公元 gōngyuán

1. A.D. (common era - C.E.)

These meanings come from the same dictionary that powers the Chinese to Pinyin translator and the Chinese to English translator, so a whole sentence containing 公元 will read it the same way this page does.

公元 is written with 2 characters. Chinese words are usually easier to remember once you can see what each part contributes.

Every sentence on this site that uses 公元 is collected on the 公元 sentence page. Want pinyin above a sentence of your own? Paste it into the Pinyin Annotator.

These are also written gongyuan without tone marks. Tones and context are what keep them apart — which is why the tone is part of the word, not an accent on it.

Train the difference in the Tone Trainer or the Similar Sounds Quiz.

What does 公元 mean in English?

公元 is pronounced gōngyuán and means A.D. (common era - C.E.).

How do you pronounce 公元?

公元 is gōngyuán in pinyin — written gongyuan without tone marks. Press the audio button on this page to hear it spoken by a native voice.

What are the characters in 公元?

公元 is written with 2 characters: 公 (gōng) Public (official), 元 (yuán) First (chief - coin - fundamental). Knowing the parts is usually how the whole word becomes memorable.

Is 公元 an HSK word?

Yes — 公元 is on the official HSK 5 vocabulary list. You can study it with the rest of that list on the HSK 5 page.