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诉讼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
诉讼sùsònglawsuitHSK 7, vn, 13 strokes, rank #3271, Very Hard
sùsòng(su4song4)su song T4
  1. 1lawsuit
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March 24, 2026

诉讼(訴訟)sùsòng(su4song4)

诉讼 (sùsòng) refers to the legal process of bringing a lawsuit to court. It involves formal proceedings where parties present their case to a judge or jury to resolve disputes, commonly used in contexts regarding legal rights and obligations.

Strokes13Frequency#3271DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 诉讼 reflects the importance of harmony and resolution; often, disputes are resolved outside of court to maintain relationships, highlighting a preference for mediation over litigation.

Memory tip

Think of 诉 (sù) as 'to tell' and 讼 (sòng) as 'to dispute'—imagine a courtroom where people tell their stories to resolve disputes. The character 诉 resembles a person speaking, while 讼 shows a conflict, making it easy to remember as a 'telling of a dispute'.

Meanings of 诉讼

sùsòng(su4song4)
1lawsuit
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 诉讼

诉讼Simplified
訴訟Traditional
13Strokes
—Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#3271Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 诉讼

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Podcast: 诉讼

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AI study notes for 诉讼

Quick Contrast

诉讼 (sùsòng) vs 起诉 (qǐsù): use 诉讼 when referring to the overall legal process, while 起诉 specifically refers to the act of filing a lawsuit.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone; both syllables are in the fourth tone, which can lead to mispronunciation. 诉讼 is typically used in formal contexts, particularly in legal discussions. Common collocations include '提起诉讼' (tíqǐ sùsòng) meaning 'to file a lawsuit'.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 诉讼 connects with other legal terms like '法庭' (fǎtíng, court) and '判决' (pànjué, ruling). Focus on understanding the legal context and usage in sentences, as well as related vocabulary for a comprehensive grasp of this topic.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 诉讼 with 诉说 (sùshuō, to tell), but 诉讼 specifically pertains to legal disputes. A common error is saying '我想要诉讼' (wǒ xiǎng yào sùsòng) without the context; it's better to specify '我想要提起诉讼' (wǒ xiǎng yào tíqǐ sùsòng).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 诉讼

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Component characters

诉sùto complain
HSK 47 strokes讠
View full entry
讼sònglitigation
HSK 66 strokes讠
View full entry

How to say lawsuit in Chinese

“lawsuit” in Chinese is诉讼sùsòng

诉讼 (sùsòng) refers to the legal process of bringing a lawsuit to court. It involves formal proceedings where parties present their case to a judge or jury to resolve disputes, commonly used in contexts regarding legal rights and obligations.

When to use 诉讼

Be cautious with the tone; both syllables are in the fourth tone, which can lead to mispronunciation. 诉讼 is typically used in formal contexts, particularly in legal discussions. Common collocations include '提起诉讼' (tíqǐ sùsòng) meaning 'to file a lawsuit'.

诉讼 or something close to it

诉讼 (sùsòng) vs 起诉 (qǐsù): use 诉讼 when referring to the overall legal process, while 起诉 specifically refers to the act of filing a lawsuit.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 诉讼 with 诉说 (sùshuō, to tell), but 诉讼 specifically pertains to legal disputes. A common error is saying '我想要诉讼' (wǒ xiǎng yào sùsòng) without the context; it's better to specify '我想要提起诉讼' (wǒ xiǎng yào tíqǐ sùsòng).

Write 诉讼

诉
讼

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Grammar patterns of 诉讼

诉讼 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 5

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

地方法官承认该慈善机构有理由提起____。

The magistrates granted that the charity was justified in bringing the action.

Example sentences for 诉讼 (10)

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1
地方法官承认该慈善机构有理由提起诉讼。

dìfang fǎguān chéngrèn gāi císhàn jīgòu yǒu lǐyóu tíqǐ sùsòng。

The magistrates granted that the charity was justified in bringing the action.
2
对某些有不忠嫌疑的官员已经提起了诉讼。

duì mǒu xiē yǒu bù zhōng xiányí de guānyuán yǐjīng tíqǐ le sùsòng。

Charges had already been made against certain officials suspected of disloyalty.
3
他被监禁了18个月，还责令他支付550英镑的诉讼费。

tā bèi jiān jīn le18 gè yuè， hái zé lìng tā zhīfù550 yīngbàng de sùsòng fèi。

He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay £550 costs.
4
警方已宣布不会提起诉讼。

jǐng fāng yǐ xuānbù bù huì tíqǐ sùsòng。

Police have announced they will not be pressing charges.
5
马丁在考虑对朱克曼提起诉讼。

mǎ Dīng zài kǎolǜ duì zhū kè màn tíqǐ sùsòng。

Martin was thinking of taking legal action against Zuckerman.
6
她对该杂志提起的诽谤诉讼尚未判决。

tā duì gāi zázhì tíqǐ de fěibàng sùsòng shàngwèi pànjué。

She had a libel action against the magazine pending.
7
这家报纸正和提起损害赔偿诉讼的女演员对簿公堂。

zhè jiā bàozhǐ zhèng hé tíqǐ sǔnhài péicháng sùsòng de nǚ yǎnyuán duì bù gōng táng。

The newspaper is fighting a damages action brought by the actress.
8
公司愿意将诉讼拖上几年。

gōngsī yuànyì jiāng sùsòng tuō shàng jǐ nián。

The company was willing to drag out the proceedings for years.
9
在诽谤诉讼中，举证责任反过来由辩方全权承担。

zài fěibàng sùsòng zhōng， jǔ zhèng zérèn fǎnguolái yóu biàn fāng quán quán chéngdān。

The onus of proof is reversed in libel actions and placed firmly on the defender.
10
如果你赢了官司,通常诉讼费用由对方承担.

rúguǒ nǐ yíng le guānsi, tōngcháng sùsòng fèiyong yóu duìfāng chéngdān.

If you win your case you will normally be awarded costs.

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Frequently asked questions about 诉讼

诉讼 refers specifically to the legal process of suing, while 争议 describes a broader sense of dispute or disagreement that may or may not involve legal action.

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