The plane tree in front of the courtyard has shed its leaves.
Tips
history
庭前 is a staple of classical poetry - 苏轼's 《记承天寺夜游》 describes walking by moonlight in the 庭下 (below the courtyard). Court imagery of moonlight in the courtyard (庭前月色) runs through Tang and Song verse, which is why the word still feels literary.
register
Two distinct registers: classical-literary ('in front of the courtyard,' almost only in poetry or historical prose) and legal ('pre-court,' as in 庭前会议 'pre-trial conference' and 庭前调解 'pre-trial mediation'). Modern everyday use is rare.
