研讨
yántǎo · HSK 7
discuss
🔬 研 research + 讨 discuss = research-and-discuss, to deliberate together
研 also means to grind or study deeply; 讨 means to discuss or demand. Together they form a seminar-style hashing-out of a topic. Sound: yántǎo, with 讨 tǎo the same syllable as in 讨论 (tǎolùn, to discuss).
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.