‘谈话’ (tán huà) literally combines ‘谈’ (to talk, discuss) and ‘话’ (speech, words), forming a noun meaning ‘conversation’—a mutual exchange of ideas or information between two or more people. It emphasizes the interactive, verbal nature of the exchange, often implying purposefulness or seriousness, such as in formal, professional, or interpersonal contexts.

Unlike the more casual ‘聊天’ (liáo tiān), ‘谈话’ carries a slightly more structured or intentional tone—it’s commonly used for teacher–student discussions, workplace meetings, counseling sessions, or official interviews. While it can occur informally, its default register leans neutral-to-formal, and it rarely appears in highly playful or trivial contexts. The word is uncountable in Chinese and doesn’t take measure words like ‘个’ unless specified (e.g., ‘一次谈话’). It’s frequently paired with verbs like ‘进行’ (jìnxíng, to conduct), ‘开始’ (kāishǐ, to begin), or ‘结束’ (jiéshù, to end).