verb / noun HSK 4
Traditional 談話
tán huà
to talk · to converse · conversation · talk

Meaning

谈话 means to have a conversation or talk with someone, typically in a somewhat formal or purposeful context. It can refer to the act of conversing or to the conversation itself as a noun. The word implies more than casual chatting—often used for discussions, interviews, or deliberate exchanges of ideas.

Usage

谈话 is commonly used in more formal or serious contexts than casual words like 聊天. It's frequently used for official talks, important discussions, or when someone in authority speaks with another person. You'll often see it in phrases like 进行谈话 (to conduct a talk) or 谈话内容 (content of the conversation).

Examples

  1. 01
    老师昨天找我谈话了。
    Lǎo shī zuó tiān zhǎo tán huà le.
    The teacher called me in for a talk yesterday.
  2. 02
    他们正在进行认真的谈话
    men zhèng zài jìn xíng rèn zhēn de tán huà.
    They are having a serious conversation.

Characters

Measure words

  • 一次谈话
  • chǎng一场谈话

Common collocations

  • 进行谈话
    jìn xíng tán huà
    to conduct a conversation
  • 谈话内容
    tán huà nèi róng
    content of the conversation
  • 谈话记录
    tán huà
    record of conversation
  • 与...谈话
    ... tán huà
    to talk with...

Antonyms

Origin

谈 originally meant to speak or discuss, while 话 refers to words or speech. Together they form a compound emphasizing the act of exchanging words in conversation.

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