对簿公堂

對簿公堂

duìbù-gōngtáng

idiom #36,619

Meanings

1 to face each other in court (idiom)
2 to take someone to court; to go to trial
3 to settle a dispute through legal proceedings

Characters

to face; confront

register; legal document

public; official

hall (here: courtroom)

Examples

HSK 6

两家公司最终对簿公堂。

Liǎng jiā gōngsī zuìzhōng duìbùgōngtáng.

The two companies ended up facing each other in court.

HSK 7-9

他们为遗产对簿公堂，兄弟情分尽失。

Tāmen wèi yíchǎn duìbùgōngtáng, xiōngdì qíngfèn jìn shī.

They went to court over the inheritance, destroying their brotherly bond.

HSK 7-9

我不想和他对簿公堂，希望私下解决。

Wǒ bù xiǎng hé tā duìbùgōngtáng, xīwàng sīxià jiějué.

I don't want to take him to court - I hope to settle it privately.

Tips

history

From 《史记·李将军列传》: 大将军使长史急责广之幕府对簿 - General Wei Qing sends an aide to summon Li Guang to respond to charges on the written dossier (簿). The original 对簿 meant 'to answer to the document'; 公堂 was added later, when the idea settled into 'facing each other in court.'

mistakes

Watch the pronunciation: 簿 is bù, not bó. Also don't write 对 as 兑. The meaning is 'to face each other across the court document,' not 'to duel.'

Stroke Order

对 duì

簿 bù

公 gōng

堂 táng