Chinese edit

three
 
just; honourable; public
just; honourable; public; common; fair; duke; mister
trad. (三公)
simp. #(三公)

Etymology edit

Starting in the Zhou Dynasty, the three highest civil posts were: 太師太师 (tàishī), 太傅 (tàifù), 太保 (tàibǎo). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the three positions were: 太尉 (tàiwèi) (Grand Commandant), 司徒 (sītú) (Minister over the Masses) and 司空 (sīkōng) (Minister of Works). Later on, the three positions were discontinued, and their duties were folded into the position of 丞相 (chéngxiàng) (chancellor of China).

The modern sense of "three kinds of public expenses" is a collective term for 公車公车 (“government cars”), 出國出国 (“overseas trips”), and 公務接待公务接待 (“official receptions”).

Pronunciation edit


Noun edit

三公

  1. (archaic) three highest-ranking civil officials in the imperial court
  2. a kind of poker game
  3. (Mainland China, politics) three kinds of public expenses, including buy and use government cars, overseas trips, and official receptions

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

Sino-Xenic (三公):
  • Korean: 삼공(三公) (samgong)
  • Vietnamese: tam công (三公)

See also edit

References edit

Japanese edit

Kanji in this term
さん
Grade: 1
こう
Grade: 2
kan’on
 三公 on Japanese Wikipedia

Etymology edit

Literary Chinese 三公 (sāngōng)

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

(さん)(こう) (sankō

  1. (historical, government) three highest-ranking officials in feudal China
    Holonym: 三公九卿
    (Zhou) Meronyms: 太師, 太傅, 太保
    (Han) Meronyms: 御史大夫, 丞相, 太尉
    (Later Han and later) Meronyms: 司空, 司徒, 太尉
  2. (historical, government) three highest-ranking officials in feudal Japan
    Meronyms: 右大臣, 左大臣, 太政大臣
    Meronyms: 右大臣, 左大臣, 内大臣

See also edit