打官司

• Pinyin: dǎ guān si
• Hanzi breakdown: 打 = 扌(hand) + 丁; 官 = 宀 (roof) + ? (building); 司 = ? (official duties)

Meaning

To file a lawsuit; to go to court. Engaging in legal proceedings.

A colloquial way to describe being involved in litigation or legal disputes. Can be used whether you're the plaintiff or defendant. In Chinese culture, going to court is often seen as a last resort after other methods of resolution have failed.

Examples

1. 他们因为房产纠纷打了三年官司，花了不少钱。 They went to court for three years over a property dispute and spent a lot of money.
2. 与其打官司耗时间，不如坐下来好好协商。 Rather than wasting time on a lawsuit, it's better to sit down and negotiate.
3. 这家公司经常被消费者告上法庭打官司。 This company is frequently sued by consumers.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, disputes

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他威胁要跟我打官司。(He threatened to take me to court.)
• 打官司太麻烦了，能调解就调解吧。(Going to court is too troublesome — let's mediate if we can.)

Don't Say

• 在正式法律文书中用'诉讼'或'起诉'，打官司是口语说法 (In formal legal documents, use 诉讼 or 起诉 — 打官司 is colloquial)

Origin & History

Combines 打 (to engage in) with 官司 (lawsuit/legal case). 官司 originally referred to matters involving government officials.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal