起訴

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 起訴, read きそ, and it is a legal noun combining 起, meaning initiate, with 訴, meaning legal action or accusation.
• Basic usage: The basic sense of 起訴 is prosecution or indictment: a prosecutor formally bringing a criminal case before a court.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The step between investigation and trial
  • Both examples use the form 起訴. It means formally sending a case to trial, not investigating a suspicion or delivering a guilty verdict.
• Active and passive prosecution
  • 検察は集めた証拠を検討したうえで被疑者を起訴した。 — After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors indicted the suspect.
  • 小説では主人公が起訴され、法廷で無実を訴える。 — In the novel, the protagonist is indicted and pleads innocence in court.