投诉

• Pinyin: tóu sù
• Hanzi breakdown: 投 = 扌(hand) + 殳 (phonetic); 诉 = 讠(speech) + 斥 (phonetic)

Meaning

To lodge a complaint; to file a formal complaint against a person or service.

The formal term for filing a complaint through official channels — with a company, regulatory body, or service provider. More formal than 抱怨 (bàoyuàn, to grumble) as it implies action via an official mechanism. 投诉热线 means complaints hotline; 投诉信 means complaint letter.

Examples

1. 顾客因为买到了劣质产品，向该公司提出了投诉。 The customer lodged a complaint against the company after receiving a substandard product.
2. 如果您对服务不满意，可以拨打消费者投诉热线。 If you are not satisfied with the service, you can call the consumer complaints hotline.
3. 他决定写信投诉那家餐厅，因为食物里发现了异物。 He decided to write a letter of complaint about the restaurant after finding a foreign object in his food.

Usage Guide

Context: consumer, work, legal

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 我要向相关部门投诉这家企业的违规行为。(I am going to file a complaint with the relevant authorities about this company's violations.)
• 您可以通过官网提交投诉。(You can submit a complaint through the official website.)

Don't Say

• 不要把投诉 (formal complaint) 与 抱怨 (informal complaining/grumbling) 混用 — 投诉 implies official action, not just venting frustration.

Origin & History

Compound of 投 (to deliver/send) and 诉 (to tell/appeal), together meaning to formally send a complaint or appeal to an authority.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal