宫廷
gōngtíng · HSK 7
royal/imperial court
👑🏯 宫廷 = palace + courtyard; the imperial court
宫 means palace and 廷 means court or hall of audience. Together they name the royal court — the palace compound where the emperor held audience and ran the government.
宫 — roof 宀 + two mouths 吕 (linked rooms)
Originally a pictograph of a building with multiple connected rooms under a roof, showing 宀 (roof) above 吕 (depicting joined chambers). It first meant any large dwelling, then narrowed over time to specifically mean a palace or temple. The reading gōng has stayed stable since early Chinese.