jyun4 gou3原告
Jyutpingjyun4 gou3
Yaleyùhn gou
Definition
Plaintiff; the party that initiates a lawsuit in court.
neutralother
How it's used
Legal terminology in Cantonese often mirrors formal written Chinese, but in a courtroom setting, lawyers and judges will use these terms alongside spoken particles to maintain professional yet clear communication. While the term is strictly legal, it is frequently heard in local news reports or when discussing court cases with friends. It is almost always paired with 被告 to describe the two opposing sides in a dispute.
Measure word
wai6位waihExamples
The plaintiff did not appear in court today.
Related words
Common phrases
plaintiff and defendant
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with the general term for someone who complains or grumbles, which is 投訴人. Ensure you only use 原告 when referring to a formal legal proceeding in a court of law.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
