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公案

gōng'àn
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 koan
  2. 2 disputed or puzzling affair
  3. 3 court case

Examples

HSK 7-9
老和尚给他讲了一个禅宗公案。
Lǎo héshang gěi tā jiǎng le yí ge Chánzōng gōng'àn.
The old monk told him a Zen koan.
HSK 7-9
这桩历史公案至今没有定论。
Zhè zhuāng lìshǐ gōng'àn zhìjīn méiyou dìnglùn.
This historical controversy has still not been settled.
HSK 7-9
包公一生审理了许多公案。
Bāogōng yìshēng shěnlǐ le xǔduō gōng'àn.
Judge Bao heard many cases in his lifetime.

Tips

history
First the desk at which an official tried cases, then the cases themselves. Chan Buddhists borrowed the word for recorded exchanges between masters and students, studied like legal precedents. 公案小说 are old crime stories about upright judges such as 包公.

Stroke Order

公 gōng
案 àn