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起诉 (qǐ sù) — to sue; to prosecute; to bring a lawsuit against

Definition

起诉 is the standard legal term for filing a lawsuit (as plaintiff). 告 is more colloquial and also means 'to tell/inform'; 诉讼 is the broader process of litigation, not the act of filing.

verb
to sueto prosecuteto bring a lawsuit against

Examples

  • 起诉。
    Lín jū yīn wèi zào yīn wèn tí qǐ sù le wǒ men.
    The neighbor sued us over the noise issue.
  • 起诉。
    Lǜ shī jiàn yì tā qǐ sù nà jiā gōng sī.
    The lawyer advised her to sue that company.
  • ，起诉。
    Rú guǒ xié shāng shī bài, wǒ men jiù huì qǐ sù.
    If negotiations fail, we will file a lawsuit.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

起qǐraise
诉sùsuit

「起」as raise or start, 「诉」as suit or accusation: together they mean bringing a legal case before a court.

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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
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