起诉
qǐsù
The Chinese phrase for 'to sue' is 起诉 (qǐsù).
起诉 is used as a formal legal term when a person or an entity initiates a lawsuit in a court of law.
Meaning: to file a legal action (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 起诉 is composed of 起 (to rise or start) and 诉 (to tell, inform or accuse).
Which one should you use?
While 起诉 is the formal term for initiating legal proceedings, the more colloquial term 告 is often used in everyday speech to mean 'to sue' or 'to accuse'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
qǐsù
Did you know?
- In historical Chinese legal contexts, 'suing' was often seen as a failure of familial or community mediation, making the act of 起诉 a last resort that carried social stigma.
- In colloquial Chinese, the word 告 is so versatile that the phrase 告密 means 'to snitch' or 'to inform on someone' rather than initiating a legal case.
- The character 诉 originally depicted a person speaking to an official, reflecting an ancient system where legal action was viewed as 'reporting' a grievance to a superior.
Examples in context
- 苏小姐Miss Sue
- 他打算起诉这家公司。tā dǎ suàn qǐ sù zhè jiā gōng sī.He plans to sue this company.
- 由于合同违约，我们需要起诉他。yóu yú hé tóng wéi yuē, wǒ men xū yào qǐ sù tā.Because of a breach of contract, we need to sue him.
- 律师建议我们直接起诉。lǜ shī jiàn yì wǒ men zhí jiē qǐ sù.The lawyer suggested that we sue directly.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a contract dispute.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，对方违反了合同。Jiāyí, duìfāng wéifǎn le hétóng.Jiayi, the other party violated the contract.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那你会起诉他们吗？Nà nǐ huì qǐsù tāmen ma?Are you going to sue them then?
- 浩然 Haoran我想先尝试协商。Wǒ xiǎng xiān chángshì xiéshāng.I want to try negotiating first.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这也是个好主意。Zhè yě shì gè hǎo zhǔyì.That is also a good idea.
