Definition

1. Verb (archaic, formal):
   • To appear before a court of law to face trial or legal proceedings: This term specifically refers to the act of being present in court as a defendant or a party involved in a lawsuit, typically under compulsion or legal summons.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Bị cáo phải hầu kiện vào sáng thứ Hai. (The defendant must appear before the court on Monday morning.)
  • Theo lệnh của quan, người dân ấy phải hầu kiện. (By the mandarin's order, that citizen had to face trial.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is almost exclusively used in historical or literary contexts to describe legal proceedings in pre-modern or feudal Vietnamese society. It evokes a formal, obligatory, and often daunting appearance before a judge or mandarin.

Variants and Related Words

• Kiện tụng (n): Litigation, lawsuit. This is the modern, general term for legal disputes.
• Ra hầu tòa (v): To appear in court. This is a more contemporary and common phrase with the same core meaning as "hầu kiện".

Synonyms

• Ra tòa: To go to court.
• Đối chất tại tòa: To confront/be examined in court.

Related Phrases

• Bị gọi hầu kiện: To be summoned to appear before the court.
  • Ông ta bị gọi hầu kiện vì tội tham ô. (He was summoned to appear before the court on corruption charges.)

Notes on Meaning

• The term carries a strong connotation of hierarchy and authority, reflecting the historical context where common people "hầu" (attend upon/serve) the mandarin-judge in a legal setting. It is not used for voluntarily bringing a case to court (which would be "kiện" or "khởi kiện").

1. (từ cũ; nghĩa cũ) Appear before the court (to face trial)