công đường
Definition
- Noun:
- Courtroom / Audience hall: The main hall or chamber where a mandarin (a historical imperial official) held public hearings, administered justice, or conducted official business.
- Yamen: Refers to the office or tribunal of a local magistrate in historical Vietnam, often encompassing the building and its administrative function.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Quan lớn đang xử án tại công đường. (The high mandarin is adjudicating a case in the courtroom.)
- Công đường là nơi thể hiện uy quyền của triều đình. (The yamen was a place that demonstrated the authority of the court.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "công đường" is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to describe the administrative and judicial settings of pre-modern Vietnam, often evoking a sense of formality and imperial authority.
Variants and Related Words
- Công môn (n): A similar term for a government office or the gate to an official's residence, emphasizing the administrative aspect.
- Pháp đường (n): A courtroom or hall of law, with a stronger emphasis on the judicial function rather than the official's general administration.
Synonyms
- Courtroom: A room where legal trials are held.
- Tribunal: A court of justice.
- Yamen: The office or residence of a Chinese or Vietnamese mandarin.
Related Idioms
- Công đường như chợ: Literally "the courtroom is like a market." This idiom criticizes a chaotic or corrupt judicial process where order and justice are absent.
- Tham nhũng khiến công đường như chợ. (Corruption makes the courtroom like a market.)