My mandarin textbook says it means "speak to democracy," but I can't find a definition for this word anywhere on the internet. Even google translate says it is not a word.
-
@user3610: I reverted your edit. You seem to be answering the question, so please add an answer.– fefeJan 9, 2021 at 2:59
-
I am a native Chinese speaker and I don't know what it means exactly, maybe it means "(should) practice democracy"... I don't really know, but I guess it's close...– user27247Jan 14, 2021 at 4:14
-
is there a word that somwhat means pay attention to democracy– RedwoodJan 18, 2021 at 4:46
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
讲 here means:
（讲求; 注重） stress; pay attention to; lay stress on; be particular about:
E. g. 讲吃讲穿; 讲交情;
In practice, we often say 讲文明，懂礼貌.
-
-
1
It is not one word
讲 (v) speak
民主 (n) democracy
In Cantonese, the meaning for '讲' includes being the shorthand for 讲究 (pay attention to; regard); 讲求 (stress), = 注重; 追求
Example:
讲民主 (speak democracy) = regard/ pay attention to democracy
不讲民主 (speak democracy) = disregard/ not pay attention to democracy
讲道理 (speak reason) = reasonable
不讲道理 (not speak reason) = Unreasonable
香港人讲生活，讲享受 = "Hong Kong people pay attention to life and enjoyment"
-
-
-
唔講道理 is closer to "unreasonable." 不 in Cantonese is closer in meaning to "forbid" Jan 7, 2021 at 23:40
-
doesn't 民主 also mean freedom. My mom says people often use it to say let me have me own choice.– RedwoodJan 18, 2021 at 5:06
-
民主 is a system, freedom is a state. You can be in a Democratic country and not being free if you are poor. Democracy may give some people freedom at the expense of others. Look at the last four years in US. Someone said Democracy is a bad governing system but it is currently the best we can have– Tang Ho ♦Jan 18, 2021 at 5:42
You should put the context in which you found this phrase, then the meaning would become apparent.
从理论上讲，他们的国家是一个多党派民主国家。
Theoretically, their nation is a multi-party democracy.
There's the rub: Maybe, in context, your "讲" holds the doubt expressed in "Theoretically"
