====== kǒugòng: 口供 - Statement, Deposition, Confession ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** kougong, 口供, Chinese legal term, Chinese confession, police statement in Chinese, give a statement in Chinese, deposition meaning, testimony in Chinese, what does kougong mean, Chinese law enforcement.
  * **Summary:** 口供 (kǒugòng) is a crucial Chinese legal term meaning a formal statement, deposition, or confession given to authorities like the police. This noun refers to the official record of what a suspect, witness, or person of interest says during an investigation. Understanding 口供 is essential for anyone interested in the Chinese legal system, news reports about crime, or popular C-dramas.
===== Core Meaning =====
<hanziwriter>口供</hanziwriter>
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** kǒu gòng
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun
  * **HSK Level:** N/A (Advanced)
  * **Concise Definition:** A formal, verbal statement made to an authority (especially the police), which is then transcribed into a written record.
  * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine you're in a police station being questioned. Everything you say that gets written down as your official account of events is your "口供". It literally translates to "mouth supply," meaning the information you "supply" with your "mouth." It's a serious, formal term used exclusively in legal or official contexts.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **口 (kǒu):** This character is a pictogram of an open mouth. It means "mouth," "opening," or "entrance." It's one of the most fundamental characters in Chinese.
  * **供 (gòng):** This character means "to provide," "to supply," or "to confess." It's composed of 人 (rén - person) and 共 (gòng - together), suggesting a person presenting something.
  * The characters combine logically to mean "to provide information with one's mouth," which perfectly captures the essence of giving a formal statement.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **The Weight of a Confession:** In the Chinese legal and cultural context, a 口供, particularly a confession, has historically carried immense weight. While modern Chinese law emphasizes a wider range of evidence, the idea that a suspect's own words are a powerful form of proof remains influential. This is often a central plot point in Chinese crime dramas, where obtaining a reliable 口供 is a major goal for investigators.
  * **Comparison to Western Concepts:**
    *   **Statement/Deposition:** "口供" is very similar to a "police statement" or a legal "deposition" in the West. It's a formal record of what someone says, taken before a trial.
    *   **Testimony vs. Confession:** "口供" can be neutral (like a witness statement) or incriminating (like a confession). In English, "testimony" usually happens in a courtroom under oath, whereas a "口供" is typically given during the investigation phase. While it can translate to "confession," the English word "confession" often carries a moral or emotional weight (e.g., confessing one's feelings) that the procedural and legalistic "口供" does not. A 口供 is the documented product of confessing.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **Strictly Formal:** This term is not used in everyday, casual conversation. You only encounter it in specific, serious contexts.
  * **Law and Order:** You will hear and see 口供 constantly when watching Chinese news about criminal cases, reading legal documents, or watching police procedurals and crime-focused C-dramas. It's a standard part of the vocabulary of law enforcement and the justice system.
  * **Common Collocations:**
    *   录口供 (lù kǒugòng): To take/record a statement.
    *   提供口供 (tígōng kǒugòng): To provide/give a statement.
    *   推翻口供 (tuīfān kǒugòng): To retract/recant a statement.
    *   逼取口供 (bīqǔ kǒugòng): To coerce/force a statement or confession.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 警察正在为目击者录**口供**。
    * Pinyin: Jǐngchá zhèngzài wèi mùjīzhě lù **kǒugòng**.
    * English: The police are taking a statement from the witness.
    * Analysis: This shows the most common usage. "录口供" (lù kǒugòng) is a set phrase for the act of an official recording a statement.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 嫌疑人最终承认了罪行，并提供了详细的**口供**。
    * Pinyin: Xiányírén zuìzhōng chéngrènle zuìxíng, bìng tígōngle xiángxì de **kǒugòng**.
    * English: The suspect finally admitted to the crime and provided a detailed confession.
    * Analysis: Here, 口供 is used in the sense of a confession after someone admits guilt. "提供口供" (tígōng kǒugòng) is what the person being questioned does.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 他的**口供**前后不一，引起了警方的怀疑。
    * Pinyin: Tā de **kǒugòng** qiánhòu bùyī, yǐnqǐle jǐngfāng de huáiyí.
    * English: His statement was inconsistent, which aroused the police's suspicion.
    * Analysis: This highlights that a 口供 is a single entity that can be analyzed for consistency. "前后不一" (qiánhòu bùyī) is a common way to describe a contradictory statement.
  * **Example 4:**
    * 在律师来之前，他拒绝提供任何**口供**。
    * Pinyin: Zài lǜshī lái zhīqián, tā jùjué tígōng rènhé **kǒugòng**.
    * English: He refused to give any statement before his lawyer arrived.
    * Analysis: This demonstrates the term's use in the context of legal rights.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 这份**口供**将作为重要的证据提交给法庭。
    * Pinyin: Zhè fèn **kǒugòng** jiāng zuòwéi zhòngyào de zhèngjù tíjiāo gěi fǎtíng.
    * English: This deposition will be submitted to the court as important evidence.
    * Analysis: The measure word for 口供 is often "份" (fèn). This sentence shows the official, documentary nature of a statement.
  * **Example 6:**
    * 他后来试图推翻自己的**口供**，但没有成功。
    * Pinyin: Tā hòulái shìtú tuīfān zìjǐ de **kǒugòng**, dàn méiyǒu chénggōng.
    * English: He later attempted to recant his own statement, but was unsuccessful.
    * Analysis: "推翻口供" (tuīfān kǒugòng) means to retract or take back what was said, a common theme in legal dramas.
  * **Example 7:**
    * 法律严禁通过刑讯逼供的方式获取**口供**。
    * Pinyin: Fǎlǜ yánjìn tōngguò xíngxùn bīgòng de fāngshì huòqǔ **kǒugòng**.
    * English: The law strictly prohibits obtaining confessions through torture and coercion.
    * Analysis: This is a formal, legal sentence. "刑讯逼供" (xíngxùn bīgòng) is a set phrase for coercing a confession, directly tied to the concept of 口供.
  * **Example 8:**
    * 你必须在你的**口供**笔录上签字确认。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ bìxū zài nǐ de **kǒugòng** bǐlù shàng qiānzì quèrèn.
    * English: You must sign the transcript of your statement to confirm it.
    * Analysis: "口供笔录" (kǒugòng bǐlù) refers to the written transcript of the verbal statement.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 警方案头放着几份关于此案的**口供**。
    * Pinyin: Jǐngfāng àntóu fàngzhe jǐ fèn guānyú cǐ àn de **kǒugòng**.
    * English: On the police officer's desk were several statements related to this case.
    * Analysis: Shows 口供 as a physical or digital document that can be collected and reviewed.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 两名嫌疑人的**口供**有很大出入。
    * Pinyin: Liǎng míng xiányírén de **kǒugòng** yǒu hěn dà chūrù.
    * English: There are major discrepancies between the two suspects' statements.
    * Analysis: "有出入" (yǒu chūrù) is a common way to say there are differences or discrepancies between two or more statements.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Don't Use It Casually:** The most common mistake is using 口供 for any kind of explanation or story. It is //exclusively// for official, legal, or investigative contexts.
    *   **Incorrect:** 我向朋友提供了关于派对的**口供**。(Wǒ xiàng péngyou tígōngle guānyú pàiduì de **kǒugòng**.) - //"I gave my friend a 'statement' about the party."//
    *   **Correct:** 我跟朋友说了说派对上发生的事。(Wǒ gēn péngyou shuōleshuō pàiduì shàng fāshēng de shì.) - //"I told my friend what happened at the party."//
  * **口供 (kǒugòng) vs. 证词 (zhèngcí) vs. 坦白 (tǎnbái):**
    *   **口供 (kǒugòng)**: The general term for a formal statement given to authorities //during an investigation//. It is a noun. It can be from a witness or a suspect.
    *   [[证词]] (zhèngcí): "Testimony." This is more specific and usually refers to a statement given by a witness //in court// under oath. It is also a noun.
    *   [[坦白]] (tǎnbái): "To confess." This is a //verb// describing the action of admitting guilt. The resulting document from a 坦白 would be a 口供.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[证词]] (zhèngcí) - Testimony, especially that given by a witness in a court of law.
  * [[坦白]] (tǎnbái) - To confess; the act of admitting one's wrongdoing.
  * [[供认]] (gòngrèn) - A more formal verb meaning to confess or admit to a crime.
  * [[嫌疑人]] (xiányírén) - A suspect in a criminal case.
  * [[审讯]] (shěnxùn) - To interrogate; an interrogation. The process during which a 口供 is often taken.
  * [[笔录]] (bǐlù) - A written record, a transcript. Often paired as 口供笔录.
  * [[证据]] (zhèngjù) - Evidence. A 口供 is a type of 证据.
  * [[警察]] (jǐngchá) - Police; the people who typically record a 口供.
  * [[律师]] (lǜshī) - Lawyer; the person you should have present when giving a 口供.
  * [[法庭]] (fǎtíng) - Courtroom; the place where a 口供 may be presented as evidence.