奉仕

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 奉仕, read ほうし, combines respectfully offering 奉 with serving 仕 to denote work for others.
• Basic usage: Use it for devoting effort in service of others or the public good, as in 地域社会へ奉仕する.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone and register
  • Although 無償で奉仕する is common, 奉仕 itself does not grammatically guarantee that every case is unpaid.