Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| poursuivre en justice | /puʁ.sɥi.vʁ‿ɑ̃ ʒys.tis/ |
| intenter un procès à |
The phrase poursuivre en justice is used to express the act of suing someone in court. It is a formal expression.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase poursuivre en justice literally translates to to pursue in justice.
Which one should you use?
While poursuivre en justice is a common way to say 'to sue', intenter un procès à is more formal and specifically refers to the act of initiating a legal proceeding.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase poursuivre en justice, the verb poursuivre is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (the person being sued) before the prepositional phrase en justice.
How do you pronounce it?
/puʁ.sɥi.vʁ‿ɑ̃ ʒys.tis/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using poursuivre alone to mean 'to sue'. Without the addition of en justice, the word poursuivre simply means 'to pursue' or 'to continue'.
Did you know?
- The word poursuivre shares a common ancestor with the English word 'prosecute'. Both trace back to the Latin word prosequi, meaning to follow or pursue.
- In French legal culture, a procès is not just a legal action but can refer to any formal public dispute or debate.
- In the phrase intenter un procès à, the word intenter is a highly specialized legal term. It is not used in daily conversation for any other purpose, such as 'to intend' or 'to start'.
Examples in context
- Tom ne va pas te poursuivre en justice.Tom isn't going to sue you.This sentence shows the use of poursuivre en justice in a negative future tense.Tatoeba #11995941 by calypsow, translation #9739338 by CK
- Je ne vais pas vous poursuivre en justice.I am not going to sue you.This sentence shows the use of poursuivre en justice to express a personal intention.Tatoeba #8031030 by Aiji, translation #7775431 by karloelkebekio
- Pourquoi voudrais-je te poursuivre en justice ?Why would I want to sue you?This sentence uses poursuivre en justice in a question format.Tatoeba #2013715 by sacredceltic, translation #2013092 by CK
- Nous allons poursuivre en justice la compagnie pour négligence grave.We are going to sue the company for gross negligence.
- Elle a décidé d'engager des poursuites judiciaires contre son ancien employeur.She decided to take legal action against her former employer.
- Il l'a attaquée en justice pour diffamation.He sued her for defamation.
- Si ton boss continue de te harceler, tu devrais porter plainte.If your boss keeps harassing you, you should sue/file a complaint.
- Elle compte mener une action en justice pour obtenir une indemnisation.She plans to bring legal action to obtain compensation.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a legal dispute at a cafe.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'elle va te poursuivre en justice ?Is she going to sue you?
- HugoJe pense qu'elle va poursuivre en justice mon frère.I think she is going to sue my brother.
- ChloéC'est une situation très difficile pour lui.That is a very difficult situation for him.
- HugoOui, il doit trouver un avocat rapidement.Yes, he needs to find a lawyer quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sue” translations and entries poursuivre en justice, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, justice, poursuivre, procès, un, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
