告状 gàozhuàng to tell on somebody
to tell on somebody; to complain (to a teacher, a superior etc); to bring a lawsuit
How to remember 告状: 告 to tell + 状 state = to tell on somebody.
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How it is used
- To tattle/complain to an authority - 向老师告状 (xiàng lǎoshī gàozhuàng) tell the teacher on sb; also to bring a lawsuit.
- Colloquial in the tattling sense (kids, coworkers); it means reporting someone's wrongdoing to a higher-up to get them in trouble.