Essential legal vocabulary in Chinese, covering legal procedures, roles, status, and actions — the terms that come up most often in courtrooms, contracts, and legal news. Tap the speaker icon to hear anything read aloud.
FAQ
Why Does Legal Vocabulary Differ More Between Taiwan and China?
The twenty-five terms below are mostly script-only differences, because they describe legal concepts common to both systems — evidence, a defendant, a verdict. The real gaps appear one level down, in institution-specific terms with no shared concept to translate, since the institutions themselves differ:
國民法官国民法官 (Taiwan’s citizen judge, sitting alongside professional judges) vs. 人民陪審員人民陪审员 (China’s people’s assessor) — two different lay-participation systems, two unrelated terms.
地方法院地方法院 (Taiwan’s district court) vs. 基層人民法院基层人民法院 (China’s grassroots people’s court) — the lowest-level trial court in each system, named on entirely different logic.
地檢署地检署 (Taiwan’s district prosecutors’ office) vs. 人民檢察院人民检察院 (China’s people’s procuratorate) — both house the prosecutors from section 02 below, but the institution wrapping them has no shared name.
01
Legal Procedure Vocabulary
法律程序詞彙法律程序词汇
案件案件legal case
刑事案件刑事案件criminal case
民事案件民事案件civil case
重大案件重大案件major case
這件案件已經審理三個月了这件案件已经审理三个月了
This case has already been in trial for three months.
起訴起诉to prosecute
提起公訴提起公诉to file a public prosecution
撤銷起訴撤销起诉to withdraw prosecution
檢察官已經對嫌疑人提起公訴检察官已经对嫌疑人提起公诉
The prosecutor has filed a public prosecution against the suspect.
訴訟诉讼lawsuit
民事訴訟民事诉讼civil lawsuit
刑事訴訟刑事诉讼criminal lawsuit
這場訴訟預計會持續好幾年这场诉讼预计会持续好几年
This lawsuit is expected to last several years.
02
Legal Roles Vocabulary
法律角色詞彙法律角色词汇
檢察官检察官prosecutor
首席檢察官首席检察官chief prosecutor
助理檢察官助理检察官assistant prosecutor
檢察官正在偵訊證人检察官正在侦讯证人
The prosecutor is questioning the witness.
律師律师lawyer
辯護律師辩护律师defense lawyer
原告律師原告律师plaintiff’s lawyer
公設辯護人公设辩护人public defender
我需要請一位律師幫我處理這件事我需要请一位律师帮我处理这件事
I need to hire a lawyer to handle this matter.
法官法官judge
首席法官首席法官presiding judge
陪審法官陪审法官associate judge
法官宣布休庭十分鐘法官宣布休庭十分钟
The judge announced a ten-minute recess.
03
Legal Status Vocabulary
法律狀態詞彙法律状态词汇
被告被告defendant
共同被告共同被告co-defendant
主要被告主要被告primary defendant
被告在法庭上保持沉默被告在法庭上保持沉默
The defendant remained silent in court.
原告原告plaintiff
首席原告首席原告lead plaintiff
附帶民事原告附带民事原告supplementary civil plaintiff
原告要求對方賠償損失原告要求对方赔偿损失
The plaintiff demanded compensation for damages.
判決判决verdict / sentence
無罪判決无罪判决not guilty verdict
有罪判決有罪判决guilty verdict
死刑判決死刑判决death sentence
法官還沒做出最終判決法官还没做出最终判决
The judge has not yet made a final verdict.
保釋保释bail
准予保釋准予保释granted bail
拒絕保釋拒绝保释denied bail
他申請保釋，但法官拒絕了他申请保释，但法官拒绝了
He applied for bail, but the judge denied it.
04
Legal Actions Vocabulary
法律行為詞彙法律行为词汇
指控指控to charge
正式指控正式指控formal charge
撤銷指控撤销指控drop charges
他否認所有的指控他否认所有的指控
He denies all the charges.
證據证据evidence
直接證據直接证据direct evidence
間接證據间接证据circumstantial evidence
物證物证physical evidence
警方還在蒐集更多證據警方还在搜集更多证据
The police are still gathering more evidence.
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