控诉 (kòng sù) — (verb) to accuse, to denounce (formally, often in a legal or public context); (noun) an accusation, a denunciation

Definition

verb
to accuseto denounce (formally, often in a legal or public context)
noun
an accusationa denunciation

Examples

  • 控诉。
    Tā kòng sù le gōng sī de wéi fǎ xíng wéi.
    He accused the company of illegal activities.
  • 控诉。
    Shòu hài zhě xiàng fǎ yuàn tí chū kòng sù.
    The victim filed a complaint with the court.
  • 控诉。
    Tā zài dà huì shàng kòng sù le fǔ bài xiàn xiàng.
    He denounced the corruption phenomenon at the conference.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

控kòngaccuse
诉sùcomplain or sue

控 means accuse, 诉 means complain or sue; together they describe formally charging someone.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
空
空kōng控kòng
Same sound today

The left part is 手 written as 扌, showing a hand; the right part 空 gives the sound.

Open 控 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 訴; 诉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword, speak
Sound part声符shēngfú
斥
斥chì訴sù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 訴 pairs 言 (word, speak) with 斥, which gives the sound and points to accusing by speech. The simplified 诉 is a later shorthand.

Open 诉 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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