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谈吐 (tán tǔ) — (formal) manner of speaking, conversational style

Definition

Formal noun for a person's manner of speaking — the overall impression their speech gives (refined, vulgar, etc.), not what they say.

noun
(formal) manner of speakingconversational style

Examples

  • 谈吐，。
    Tā de tán tǔ fēi cháng wén yǎ, ràng rén gǎn jué hěn shū fu.
    His conversational style is very refined and makes people feel comfortable.
  • 谈吐。
    Yí gè rén de tán tǔ wǎng wǎng fǎn yìng le tā de xiū yǎng.
    A person's manner of speaking often reflects their cultivation.
  • 谈吐。
    Tā bù xǐ huan nà rén de cū sú tán tǔ.
    He doesn't like that person's vulgar manner of speaking.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

谈tántalk
吐tǔutter

谈 is talking and 吐 is uttering, so the two actions together describe a way of speaking.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
土
土tǔ吐tǔ
Same sound today

吐 pairs 口, the mouth, with 土, which gives the sound.

Open 吐 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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