The word 告诉 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing to its meaning of "to tell" or "to inform". The first character, 告 (gào), originally depicted an ox and a mouth, conveying the ancient idea of reporting or announcing something solemnly, like a ritual declaration. The second character, 诉 (sù), incorporates the speech radical (讠/言) with the component 斥, which suggests an act of laying something out or appealing. When joined, they create a compound where both elements reinforce the core concept of verbally communicating information from one person to another, with 诉 often adding a nuance of recounting or relating that information.