citare in giudizio
/t͡ʃiˈta.re in d͡ʒuˈdit.t͡sjo/word by word
To sue in Italian is to say citare in giudizio or fare causa.
Meaning: to file a legal action (verb)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| citare in giudizio | /t͡ʃiˈta.re in d͡ʒuˈdit.t͡sjo/ (word by word) |
| fare causa | /ˈfa.re ˈkaw.sa/ (word by word) |
The English verb 'to sue' is translated using two main expressions that both mean to file a legal action. One way to express this is through the phrase citare in giudizio, while the other is fare causa.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase citare in giudizio literally means 'to summon to judgment'.
Which one should you use?
Citare in giudizio is the more formal and precise legal term used in official contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you specify the person being sued using the phrase fare causa, you must use the preposition a after it, as in fare causa a qualcuno.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase is pronounced /tʃiˈta.re in dʒuˈdit.tsjo/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the act of suing is often preceded by a diffida, a formal warning letter intended to settle the matter before using citare in giudizio.
- The word causa in fare causa is a doublet of the common Italian word cosa, which means 'thing'.
- The verb citare in citare in giudizio is used both for summoning someone to court and for quoting a text or author.
Examples in context
- Non si può fare causa a se stessi.You cannot sue yourself.This sentence is useful for showing that you cannot sue yourself using fare causa.Tatoeba #10708602 by carlosalberto, translation #10708595 by carlosalberto
- Voglio citare in giudizio la compagnia.I want to sue the company.
- Gli avvocati decideranno se citare in giudizio l'azienda.The lawyers will decide whether to sue the corporation.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are discussing a legal dispute at a cafe.
- GiuliaMatteo, dobbiamo citare in giudizio questo proprietario.Matteo, we must sue this landlord.
- MatteoSei sicura che sia la cosa giusta?Are you sure that is the right thing to do?
- GiuliaSì, mi ha causato molti danni.Yes, he caused me a lot of damage.
- MatteoAllora parlerò con il mio avvocato.Then I will talk to my lawyer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sue” translations and entries fare causa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (citare, in, giudizio, fare, causa) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries causa, citare, fare, fare causa, giudizio, in, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
