Meaning
廷 means court — royal, imperial, or judicial. It names the formal space where rulers hold power, judges preside, and ceremonies of state are conducted. In ancient Japan, the 廷 was the physical and symbolic heart of imperial authority, the hall where the emperor and his ministers gathered to govern. That same character has since migrated into legal Japanese, naming the courtroom where trials unfold.
The radical 廴 (えんにょう) forms the character's foundation — a long, sweeping stroke evoking a purposeful approach down a grand corridor. The inner component suggests people assembled in orderly formation. Together, they paint a solemn space at the end of that processional hall: the court awaiting at its far end. The wide horizontal sweep of 廴 gives the whole character a feeling of something expansive and authoritative.
廷 takes 7 strokes and is a Grade 8 Joyo kanji — high-school level. It almost never appears as a standalone word, living instead inside compound words (熟語). It surfaces in legal documents, court reporting, and classical texts about Japan's ancient imperial system.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
廷 has a single on'yomi reading:
- テイ (TEI) — Borrowed from Middle Chinese, this is the only reading 廷 carries. It appears in both legal contexts (courtrooms, trials) and historical ones (royal courts, ancient government). No variation, no kun'yomi — whenever you see 廷, it reads テイ.
Compound words using テイ:
- 法廷 (hōtei) — court of law, courtroom; the formal space where legal proceedings take place
- 宮廷 (kyūtei) — royal court, imperial court; the world surrounding a monarch, with all its rituals and officials
- 朝廷 (chōtei) — the ancient Japanese imperial court; used in classical and historical writing to name the ruling imperial institution
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
廷 has no kun'yomi. The concept of a formal government court arrived in Japan alongside Chinese writing and Chinese-style governance — no native Japanese word was waiting to absorb it. The kanji went straight into Sino-Japanese vocabulary with no native counterpart.
In practice this simplifies things: every time you see 廷, read it テイ. No exceptions, no context-dependent switching.
Common Words & Compounds
廷 has a tight semantic range, but the compounds it anchors carry real weight in formal Japanese. They fall into two groups: legal vocabulary and historical/imperial vocabulary.
Legal and Judicial Vocabulary:
- 法廷 (hōtei) — court of law, courtroom; the most common word containing 廷, found daily in legal news and reporting
- 出廷 (shutei) — appearing in court; used when a witness, defendant, or lawyer must be physically present
- 開廷 (kaitei) — opening of a court session; the formal start of a trial or hearing
- 閉廷 (heitei) — closing or adjournment of a court session; declared by the presiding judge
- 廷吏 (teiri) — court officer, bailiff; responsible for maintaining order inside the courtroom
Historical and Imperial Vocabulary:
- 宮廷 (kyūtei) — royal court, imperial court; the social and political world centered on a monarch, including its ceremonies and high officials
- 朝廷 (chōtei) — the ancient Japanese imperial court; refers specifically to the ruling imperial institution before the samurai class rose to power
- 廷臣 (teishin) — courtier, court official; a person who serves at a royal court and takes part in its ceremonies and governance
Extended Compound Words:
- 宮廷劇 (kyūteigeki) — court drama; films or television dramas set in a royal or imperial court
- 宮廷料理 (kyūtei ryōri) — court cuisine; the elaborate food prepared for royalty and high officials in a palace setting
- 宮廷文化 (kyūtei bunka) — court culture; the arts, literature, and customs that developed within the imperial court
Example Sentences
彼は明日、法廷に出廷する。
Kare wa ashita, hōtei ni shutei suru.
He will appear in court tomorrow.
裁判は午前10時に開廷された。
Saiban wa gozen jūji ni kaitei sareta.
The trial opened at ten in the morning.
弁護士は法廷で依頼人を力強く弁護した。
Bengoshi wa hōtei de irainin wo chikarazuyoku bengo shita.
The lawyer made a forceful defense of the client in court.
昔、朝廷は日本の政治の中心であった。
Mukashi, chōtei wa Nihon no seiji no chūshin de atta.
Long ago, the imperial court was the center of Japanese politics.
宮廷の生活は華やかだったが、厳しい礼儀も求められた。
Kyūtei no seikatsu wa hanayaka datta ga, kibishii reigi mo motomerareta.
Life at court was splendid, but strict etiquette was expected of everyone.
法廷には多くの傍聴人が集まった。
Hōtei ni wa ōku no bōchōnin ga atsumatta.
The courtroom filled with spectators.
廷臣たちは天皇に忠誠を誓った。
Teishin-tachi wa tennō ni chūsei wo chikatta.
The courtiers pledged their loyalty to the emperor.
証人は法廷で真実を述べるよう宣誓した。
Shōnin wa hōtei de shinjitsu wo noberu yō sensei shita.
The witness took an oath in court to tell the truth.
裁判官は判決を読み上げたあと、閉廷を宣言した。
Saibankan wa hanketsu wo yomiageta ato, heitei wo sengen shita.
After reading the verdict, the judge declared the session closed.
この宮廷劇は平安時代の朝廷を舞台にしている。
Kono kyūteigeki wa Heian jidai no chōtei wo butai ni shite iru.
This court drama is set in the imperial court of the Heian period.
Memory Tip
Start with the radical 廴 (えんにょう): a long, sweeping stroke like a grand corridor leading somewhere important. Picture the hallway of an ancient Japanese palace — polished wooden floors, silk screens lining both walls, your footsteps echoing with every step. At the far end: the imperial court. That extended pathway is what 廴 represents, and it carries you straight to 廷.
The same image works for modern usage. Swap the palace for a courthouse, and that same corridor ends at a door marked 法廷. The kanji's shape encodes the approach itself.
Watch out for 庭 (garden, courtyard) — nearly identical, with the same テイ reading. The difference is the radical: 廴 (えんにょう) in 廷 signals a formal institution; 广 (まだれ) in 庭 suggests an open, outdoor space. When you see that sweeping base stroke, you're looking at 廷, not 庭.