HSK 6 · Verbs

探讨 tàntǎo “to discuss” in Chinese

Traditional 探討

What 探讨 means

  1. to discuss
  2. to explore (an issue)
  3. to investigate
  4. to probe

How to say 探讨

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale探tàn4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the third tone: dips low then rises, 2 to 1 to 4 on the five-level scale讨tǎo3rd tone, dipping

探讨 in a sentence

  1. 学生们在探讨语言和文化。

    Xuéshengmen zài tàntǎo yǔyán hé wénhuà.

    The students are discussing language and culture.

    Sentence #1746196 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 这是值得探讨的话题。

    Zhè shì zhíde tàntǎo de huàtí.

    This is a topic worth discussing.

    Sentence #892494 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

How 探讨 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 探 (tàn) drawn as one shape
探tànto explore

探 is a single shape of 11 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

The character 讨 (tǎo) with each of its parts in a different colour
讨tǎoto invite
  • 讠speech form of 言 · yán
  • 寸inch · cùn

How to write 探讨

探 11 strokes · 讨 5 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

探讨 (tàntǎo) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 探讨 (tàntǎo). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 探讨

Words with 探

探索tànsuǒ · to explore探望tànwàng · to visit (esp. someone ill or elderly)侦探zhēntàn · detective勘探kāntàn · to explore探测tàncè · to detect

Words with 讨

讨论tǎolùn · to discuss讨厌tǎoyàn · to dislike讨价还价tǎojiàhuánjià · to bargain检讨jiǎntǎo · self-criticism讨好tǎohǎo · to please

More words: Thinking & Talking

思索sīsuǒ · to ponder算数suànshù · to count (be valid)索取suǒqǔ · to ask for探索tànsuǒ · to explore讨好tǎohǎo · to please滔滔不绝tāotāobùjué · to talk non-stop挑拨tiǎobō · to stir up trouble提示tíshì · to prompt

FAQs

探讨 (tàntǎo) means “to discuss” or “to explore (an issue)”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it tàntǎo: tàn with a 4th tone, then tǎo with a 3rd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 探讨 is written 探討. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type tantao with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 探讨 from the suggestions. Typing tantao into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
探讨 is an HSK 6 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.