对簿公堂 (duì bù gōng táng) — to confront in court; to file a lawsuit and face a legal trial

Definition

A formal, written idiom meaning two sides take their dispute to court and face each other in trial. Use it for serious legal clashes, not casual disagreements.

idiom
to confront in courtto file a lawsuit and face a legal trial

Examples

  • 对簿公堂。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yīn hé tong jiū fēn yǔ gōng huò shāng duì bù gōng táng.
    This company confronted its supplier in court over a contract dispute.
  • ，对簿公堂。
    Shuāng fāng jù jué tiáo jiě, zuì zhōng xuǎn zé duì bù gōng táng.
    Both sides refused mediation and ultimately chose to settle the matter in court.
  • 对簿公堂。
    Nà qǐ míng yù qīn quán àn ràng liǎng wèi míng rén duì bù gōng táng.
    That defamation case brought two celebrities face to face in court.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
溥
溥pǔ簿bù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

簿 used for book, pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 溥; 竹 is the meaning part and 溥 gives the sound.

Open 簿 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Open 公 →

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
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng堂táng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Open 堂 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.