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诉

訴
sù
verb #7,233

Meanings

  1. 1 to tell; to inform
  2. 2 to complain; to pour out
  3. 3 to sue; to accuse

Examples

告诉我怎么走。
Gàosu wǒ zěnme zǒu.
Tell me how to get there.
她向朋友倾诉烦恼。
Tā xiàng péngyou qīngsù fánnǎo.
She poured out her worries to a friend.
他决定起诉。
Tā juédìng qǐsù.
He decided to file a lawsuit.

Tips

usage
诉 is used in: 告诉 (tell, pronounced gàosu), 诉说 (relate/tell), 起诉 (sue), 投诉 (complain/file a complaint), 倾诉 (pour out one's feelings), 控诉 (accuse).

Components

radical
讠 yán
speech; words (radical)
Left radical 讠 is the simplified side-form of 言 (speech). Marks 诉 as a speaking action: telling, reporting, complaining, suing. Same radical drives the large speech family — 说 (say), 话 (words), 谁 (who), 谢 (thank), 请 (ask). Anything with 讠 on the left is verbal at heart.
phonetic
斥 chì
to rebuke; push away (phonetic)
Right phonetic 斥 supplies the sound (chì → sù, a noticeable drift in older Chinese readings) and a sharp meaning: 'rebuke, drive off'. The combination paints a vivid picture — speech aimed pointedly at someone, hence 'tell, accuse, sue'. Compare 析 (analyse) which uses a similar right shape.

Stroke Order

诉 sù