讨还 (tǎo huán) — to demand back, to reclaim (money, property, rights, etc.)

Definition

讨还 (tǎo huán) is a formal written verb meaning to demand something back — money, property, rights, or owed debts. Stronger and more aggressive than simply asking; common in legal, official, or news contexts.

verb
to demand backto reclaim (money, property, rights, etc.)

Examples

  • 讨还。
    Tā jué dìng tōng guò fǎ lǜ tú jìng tǎo huán gōng dào.
    He decided to seek justice through legal channels.
  • 讨还。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài xiàng duì fāng tǎo huán bèi zhàn de tǔ dì.
    The government is demanding back the occupied land from the other side.
  • ，讨还。
    Tā duō cì xiě xìn, shì tú tǎo huán nà bǐ qiàn kuǎn.
    She wrote many letters trying to reclaim that debt.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

讨tǎodemand
还háireturn

讨 means to demand and 还 means to return: demand something back.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng還hái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

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