討 meaning and stroke order
To haggle, to discuss; to demand, to ask for
How to write 討, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 討
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to invite
- to provoke
- to demand or ask for
- to send armed forces to suppress
- to denounce or condemn
- to marry (a woman)
How 討 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To ask 言 for something 寸.
Radical: 言 (words), shared by 155 characters on this site.
How to remember 討
討 combines 言 (speech) on the left with 寸 (a small measure, often a hand) on the right. Picture someone using words 言 to ask for a little something 寸, which leads to asking, demanding, and discussing.
討 rarely stands alone in modern speech and mostly appears in words like 讨论 (tǎolùn, to discuss) and 讨厌 (tǎoyàn, to dislike). Mainland China writes it in the simplified form 讨. Example: 我们明天讨论这个问题。(Wǒmen míngtiān tǎolùn zhège wèntí.) We will discuss this question tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 討 with 計 (jì, to count, to plan), which also has 言 on the left but 十 on the right instead of 寸. Also keep the third tone in tǎo, and do not confuse it with the fourth-tone 套 (tào).
Common words with 討
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 討論 | tǎolùn | to discuss; to talk over | HSK 2 |
| 討厭 | tǎoyàn | to dislike; to loathe; annoying; troublesome | HSK 5 |
| 探討 | tàntǎo | to investigate; to probe | HSK 6 |
| 討好 | tǎohǎo | to get the desired outcome; to win favor by fawning on sb | HSK 7-9 |
| 討價還價 | tǎojià-huánjià | to haggle over price; to bargain | HSK 7-9 |
| 討人喜歡 | tǎo rén xǐhuan | to attract people's affection; charming | HSK 7-9 |
| 商討 | shāngtǎo | to discuss; to deliberate | HSK 7-9 |
| 乞討 | qǐtǎo | to beg; to go begging | HSK 7-9 |
| 檢討 | jiǎntǎo | to examine or inspect; self-criticism | HSK 7-9 |
| 研討 | yántǎo | discussion | HSK 7-9 |
| 討厭鬼 | tǎoyànguǐ | disgusting person; slob | |
| 研討會 | yántǎohuì | discussion forum; seminar | |
| 討人厭 | tǎorényàn | horrid | |
| 自討苦吃 | zìtǎokǔchī | (idiom) to ask for trouble; to make a rod for one's own back |
Questions about 討
How many strokes are in 討?
討 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 討 mean?
討 (tǎo) means to haggle, to discuss; to demand, to ask for. A common word with it is 讨论 (tǎolùn), meaning "to discuss; to talk over".
How do you pronounce 討?
討 is pronounced tǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 討?
The radical of 討 is 言, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 討 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 討?
討 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 讨, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 讨厌 always negative?
It usually means to dislike or that something is annoying, as in 我讨厌下雨 (wǒ tǎoyàn xià yǔ, I hate rain). Said playfully, 讨厌 can also be a teasing, affectionate complaint between friends or partners.
What does 討 mean in 讨价还价?
Here 討 means to ask for. 讨价 is asking a price, and 还价 (huánjià) is giving a counteroffer, so the whole phrase means to haggle or bargain.