谈 meaning and stroke order
To speak; to talk; to converse
How to write 谈, 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.
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Meaning of 谈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to speak
- to talk
- to converse
- to chat
- to discuss
How 谈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 炎 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 谈
谈 combines 讠 (speech) with 炎 (yán), two stacked fires. Picture people talking so much the conversation gets heated, with words on the left and fire on the right.
谈 is used for talking about or discussing something, often more serious or sustained than casual chatting. It appears in many compounds like 谈话 (tánhuà), 谈判 (tánpàn) and 谈论 (tánlùn). Example: 我们谈谈这个问题吧。(Wǒmen tántan zhège wèntí ba.) Let's talk about this problem.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as a single 火 or confuse 谈 with 淡 (dàn, bland, light), which has 氵 (water) instead of 讠. Also note the tone. 谈 is second tone tán, while the phonetic 炎 is read yán.
Common words with 谈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 谈话 | tánhuà | to talk (with sb); to have a conversation | HSK 3 |
| 谈判 | tánpàn | to negotiate; negotiation | HSK 3 |
| 会谈 | huìtán | talks; discussions | HSK 5 |
| 座谈会 | zuòtánhuì | conference; symposium | HSK 6 |
| 谈论 | tánlùn | to discuss; to talk about | HSK 7-9 |
| 交谈 | jiāotán | to discuss; to converse; chat; discussion | HSK 7-9 |
| 谈到 | tándào | to refer to; to speak about | HSK 7-9 |
| 谈起 | tánqǐ | to mention; to speak of | HSK 7-9 |
| 访谈 | fǎngtán | to visit and discuss; to interview | HSK 7-9 |
| 谈不上 | tán bu shàng | to be out of the question | HSK 7-9 |
| 洽谈 | qiàtán | to discuss | HSK 7-9 |
| 夸夸其谈 | kuākuā-qítán | (idiom) to talk big; to sound off; to be full of hot air | HSK 7-9 |
| 畅谈 | chàngtán | to talk freely; to discuss without inhibition | HSK 7-9 |
| 座谈 | zuòtán | to have an informal discussion | HSK 7-9 |
谈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 谈
How many strokes are in 谈?
谈 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 谈 mean?
谈 (tán) means to speak; to talk; to converse. A common word with it is 谈话 (tánhuà), meaning "to talk (with sb); to have a conversation".
How do you pronounce 谈?
谈 is pronounced tán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 谈?
The radical of 谈 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 谈 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 谈?
The traditional form of 谈 is 談. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 谈 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 谈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 谈 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 谈 and 说?
说 (shuō) is the general word for saying or speaking. 谈 (tán) suggests a conversation or discussion between people, often about a topic. You 说一句话 (say a sentence) but 谈一个问题 (discuss an issue).
What does 谈恋爱 mean?
谈恋爱 (tán liàn'ài) means to be in a romantic relationship or to date someone. It is a very common everyday phrase, as in 他们在谈恋爱 (tāmen zài tán liàn'ài), they are dating.