公堂 (gōng táng) — (historical) law court; tribunal; ancestral hall; memorial temple
Definition
Historical word meaning an official law court — chiefly seen in set phrases like 对簿公堂 ('meet in court, face each other in lawsuit'). It can also denote an ancestral/memorial hall, but the legal sense is the one learners will meet in texts.
noun
(historical) law courttribunalancestral hallmemorial temple
Measure word · 家
Examples
- ，公堂。Zài gǔ dài, lǎo bǎi xìng dǎ guān si dōu yào shàng gōng táng.In ancient times, common people had to go to the court to file lawsuits.
- 公堂。Zhè zuò gōng táng lǐ gòng fèng zhe zǔ xiān de pái wèi.This ancestral hall enshrines the memorial tablets of ancestors.
- ，。Shuāng fāng duì bù gōng táng, zuì zhōng dá chéng le hé jiě.The two parties faced each other in court and eventually reached a settlement.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.