检讨
jiǎntǎo · HSK 7
self-criticize
🔍 检 examine + 讨 discuss = examine your own conduct and discuss the faults out loud
检 is the inspect/check character (as in 检查); 讨 means discuss or call to account (as in 讨论). Together they mean to go over something thoroughly, and reflexively, to pick apart your own mistakes as self-criticism.
讨 — speech radical 讠 + inch 寸
A semantic-phonetic compound combining 讠 (speech) with 寸 (a hand/measure), suggesting demanding or seeking through words. The original sense was to denounce or punish verbally, which broadened over time to mean 'to demand,' 'to ask for,' and 'to discuss.' Modern uses like 讨论 (discuss) and 讨厌 (detest) reflect this range.