公证

• Pinyin: gōng zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = official; 证 = 讠 (speech/word) + 正 — to verify, certify officially

Meaning

To notarise; notarisation. The official certification of documents, signatures, or legal facts by an authorised notary.

A legal procedure in which a notary public (公证员) verifies and authenticates documents for legal use. Required for many administrative processes: property transfers, powers of attorney, adoption paperwork, and documents submitted overseas. 公证处 is the notary office; 公证书 is the notarial certificate.

Examples

1. 这份遗嘱已在公证处完成公证，具有完整的法律效力。 This will has been notarized at the notary office and carries full legal force.
2. 向境外机构提交的学历证明通常须经过公证认证才能被接受。 Academic credentials submitted to overseas institutions usually must be notarized and authenticated before they're accepted.
3. 双方在签署房产转让协议前，依法到公证处办理了相关公证手续。 Before signing the property transfer agreement, the two parties went to the notary office as required to complete the necessary notarization procedures.

Usage Guide

Context: law, administration, legal documents, property

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 您的结婚证复印件需要经过公证才能在国外使用。(Your marriage certificate copy needs to be notarised before it can be used abroad.)
• 合同经公证后自动具备强制执行效力。(Once notarised, the contract automatically carries enforceable legal effect.)

Don't Say

• 用'公证'表示普通的见证或作证 — 公证 refers to official notarial authentication by a licensed notary; use 作证 for testifying or 见证 for witnessing

Origin & History

公 (public/official) + 证 (to certify; to prove)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal