谈起 (tán qǐ) — to mention, to bring up (a topic)

Definition

谈起 is a separable verb meaning to bring up or mention a topic in conversation — the 谈 (talk) and 起 split apart, as in 一谈起那件事… (whenever that topic comes up…).

verb
to mentionto bring up (a topic)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 谈起。
    Wǒ men zuó tiān tán qǐ le nà bù diàn yǐng.
    We brought up that movie yesterday.
  • 谈起，。
    Yì tán qǐ nà jiàn shì, tā jiù hěn shēng qì.
    Whenever that matter is mentioned, he gets very angry.
  • 谈起。
    Tā cóng lái bù tán qǐ zì jǐ de guò qù.
    He never speaks of his own past.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

谈tántalk
起qǐup

谈 means to talk, and 起 carries the sense of bringing up or starting to speak about something.

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 談; 谈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
炎
炎yán談tán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 谈, the traditional form 談 pairs 言 (speech) with 炎 (yán) as the sound part.

Open 谈 →

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
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

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