供状 (gòng zhuàng) — written confession; deposition

Definition

供状 (gōng zhuàng) is a formal written confession or sworn statement submitted in court, especially in a criminal case. It is a legal term — not used for casual admissions of fault.

noun
written confessiondeposition
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 供状。
    Tā zài fǎ tíng shàng tí jiāo le gòng zhuàng.
    He submitted his written confession in court.
  • 供状。
    Zhè fèn gòng zhuàng shì àn jiàn de guān jiàn zhèng jù.
    This deposition is the key evidence in the case.
  • 供状。
    Lǜ shī zǐ xì hé duì le gòng zhuàng de nèi róng.
    The lawyer carefully checked the content of the confession.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

供gòngconfession
状zhuàngdocument

供 (confession) and 状 (document) combine to mean a written record of a confession.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng供gòng
Same sound today

供 is made of 亻, a person, and 共, which gives the sound gòng.

Open 供 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 狀; 状 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán狀zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 狀 pairs 犬 (dog) with 爿 as a sound component; the simplified 状 is a shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 状 →

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