The word 公关 (gōngguān) is formed through a common process of abbreviation in Chinese, where it is condensed from the four-character term 公共关系 (gōnggòng guānxì), which directly translates to "public relations". This is done by taking the first character 公 (gōng) from 公共 (public) and the first character 关 (guān) from 关系 (relations), and combining them to create a concise, two-character word that efficiently carries the full meaning of the original, longer phrase.