起诉
To press charges in Chinese is 起诉.
The term 起诉 means to formally accuse a person of a crime. In a civil context, rather than 'pressing charges' for a crime, one would use 提起诉讼 to mean filing a civil lawsuit.
Meaning: to formally accuse a person of a crime (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 起诉 specifically refers to the formal legal act of initiating a lawsuit or prosecution, 控告 is a more general term for making a formal accusation or complaint.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 起诉 is a transitive verb and can be followed directly by the person or entity being charged.
Did you know?
- In mainland China, a victim cannot 起诉 a defendant directly in a criminal case. Only the People's Procuratorate has the legal power to bring a formal public prosecution.
- While 起诉 is the legal term, people often use the phrase 打官司 (literally 'hitting a lawsuit') to describe the general act of going to court.
- In historical Chinese law, 'pressing charges' often involved a physical petition to the Emperor, which could be seen as a gamble since the accuser could be punished if the claim was false.
Examples in context
- 她决定控告嫌疑人谋杀 (Tā juédìng kònggào xiányírén móushā)She decided to press charges against the suspect for murder.
- 我要对他提起诉讼 (Wǒ yào duì tā tíqǐ sùsòng)I want to press charges against him.
- 我们要起诉那个小偷。Wǒmen yào qǐsù nàge xiǎotōu.We are going to press charges against that thief.
- 警察建议你起诉他。Jǐngchá jiànyì nǐ qǐsù tā.The police suggest that you press charges against him.
- 她决定起诉那家公司。Tā juédìng qǐsù nà jiā gōngsī.She decided to press charges against that company.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Jiayi are discussing a recent theft in their neighborhood.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那个小偷把你的钱包偷了。Nàge xiǎotōu bǎ nǐ de qiánbāo tōu le.That thief stole your wallet.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我真的想起诉他。Wǒ zhēn de xiǎng qǐsù tā.I really want to press charges against him.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你应该向警察提供证据。Jiāyí, nǐ yīnggāi xiàng jǐngchá tígōng zhèngjù.Jiayi, you should provide evidence to the police.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我会的，志强。Wǒ huì de, Zhìqiáng.I will, Zhiqiang.
