官司

guān si · HSK 6

lawsuit

⚖️ 官 official + 司 manage = a dispute managed by officials

Government officials (官) manage (司) the case. Sounds like gone see — you've gone to see the judge about it.

官 — roof 宀 + mound/many 㠯
Originally a pictograph showing a building (roof 宀) over stacked mounds or seats (㠯), depicting an official residence or government office. The meaning extended from the building itself to the officials who worked there, and then broadly to 'official' or 'government.'

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