彼らは国を相手取って損害賠償の訴えを起こした。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

They sued the government for damages.

Furigana

彼(かれ)らは国(くに)を相手取(あいてど)って損害(そんがい)賠償(ばいしょう)の訴(うった)えを起(お)こした。

Romanji

Karera wa kuni o aitedotte songai baishō no uttae o okoshita.

Words

彼ら (かれら)

they (usually male); them

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

国 (くに)

country; state; region; national government; central government; home (i.e. hometown, home country); province (of Japan); land; earth

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

相手取る (あいてどる)

to challenge (esp. in a lawsuit); to take on an opponent (in negotiations, contest, etc.)

損害 (そんがい)

damage; injury; loss

賠償 (ばいしょう)

compensation; reparations; indemnity; damages

の (の)

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

訴え (うったえ)

lawsuit; complaint

起こす (おこす)

to raise; to raise up; to set up; to pick up; to wake; to wake up; to waken; to awaken; to cause; to bring about; to lead to; to trigger; to give rise to; to create; to generate (e.g. heat, electricity); to produce; to start; to begin; to launch; to establish; to found; to set up; to open; to plough; to plow; to till; to fall ill with; to transcribe; to write down (what is spoken); to turn over (a card)