Historically, Chinese culture has prized social harmony (`和谐 - héxié`) and avoiding direct, public confrontation. Resolving disputes through mediation, leveraging personal relationships (`关系 - guānxi`), and preserving “face” (`面子 - miànzi`) for all parties was the preferred method. Therefore, deciding to `起诉 (qǐsù)` is a culturally significant and very serious step. It is often seen as a last resort, an admission that all other avenues for resolution have failed and that social harmony is irrevocably broken. This contrasts with some Western cultures, particularly the United States, where litigation can be more common and sometimes used as a negotiation tactic. In China, to `起诉` someone is to definitively sever a relationship and escalate a private dispute into the public, official realm. While China's legal system is robust and suing is now a common feature of modern society (especially in business), the underlying cultural view remains: it's a grave step that is not taken lightly.
`起诉` is a formal term used primarily in legal and official contexts. You will see it and hear it most often in the following situations:
The connotation of `起诉` is neutral from a purely legal standpoint, but in social contexts, it is serious and implies significant conflict.