讨教 (tǎo jiào) — to ask for advice; to consult

Definition

A polite verb meaning 'to ask for advice / consult' — usually to a senior or expert, more deferential than plain 问 (wèn, 'to ask').

verb
to ask for adviceto consult

Examples

  • 讨教。
    Wǒ xiǎng xiàng nín tǎo jiào jǐ gè wèn tí.
    I'd like to ask you for advice on a few questions.
  • ，。
    Tā zhuān mén qù bài fǎng lǎo jiào shòu, tǎo le yí gè jiào.
    He made a special visit to the old professor and asked for a piece of advice.
  • ，。
    Guān yú zhè ge wèn tí, wǒ xiàng jǐ wèi zhuān jiā tǎo guò jiào.
    On this issue, I have consulted several experts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

讨tǎoask for
教jiàoteaching

讨 'ask for' and 教 'teaching' combine to mean ask someone for guidance.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 討; 讨 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
肘
肘zhǒu討tǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 討 pairs 言 (speech) with a shortened form of 肘 for sound; an old reading took 言 plus 寸 (hand) as 'rectify'. The simplified 讨 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical components.

Open 讨 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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