指控(zhǐ kòng) - to accuse, to charge; an accusation, a charge in Mandarin

指控 (zhǐ kòng) is to accuse someone publicly or formally, and also the accusation itself. It is a legal and journalistic word, the one used in court reports and news coverage.

Both the verb and the noun use are common. As a verb: 他指控我说谎, or in the passive with 被, which is where you will meet it most, 他被指控偷窃. As a noun it takes 项 as its measure word: 一项指控, 三项指控, and it collocates with 提出 (to bring), 否认 (to deny) and 驳回 (to dismiss).

Do not use it for everyday finger-pointing. If a flatmate accuses you of eating the last of the biscuits, that is 说 or 怪 or 怪罪, not 指控. Nearby words worth keeping apart: 控告 (kòng gào) is to bring a lawsuit, 起诉 (qǐ sù) is to prosecute, and 责怪 (zé guài) is to blame in the ordinary domestic sense.