讨论 (tǎo lùn) — to discuss, to talk over

Definition

讨论 is the standard all-purpose 'to discuss' — formal enough for meetings but used in everyday speech. 商量 is more casual ('to talk it over' between people), while 探讨 and 研讨 are for deeper, more formal deliberation.

verb

to discussto talk over

Examples

讨论。
Wǒ men tǎo lùn yí xià zhè ge wèn tí.
Let's discuss this problem.
讨论。
Tā men zhèng zài tǎo lùn xīn de xiàng mù.
They are discussing the new project.
讨论。
Wǒ men xū yào tǎo lùn zhè ge jué dìng.
We need to discuss this decision.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

讨tǎodiscuss

论lùndiscuss

讨 and 论 both carry the sense of discussing, so together they mean to discuss.

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 論; 论 is its simplified writing.

言侖論

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yánsay

Sound part声符shēngfú

侖

侖lún論lùn

Same sound today

The traditional form 論 pairs 言 (“say”) with 侖 as a sound component; the simplified 论 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 论 →