话题 (huàtí)

话题 is a versatile noun for any topic of conversation or discussion, from casual everyday subjects to trending social issues, and is especially common in informal and media contexts.

Meanings

[noun] topic; subject of conversation; talking point

Example Sentences

天气是人们最常见的话题之一。 Tiānqì shì rénmen zuì chángjiàn de huàtí zhī yī. The weather is one of the most common topics of conversation.

这部电影上映后成为了社交媒体上的热门话题。 Zhè bù diànyǐng shàngyìng hòu chéngle shèjiāo méitǐ shàng de rèmén huàtí. After its release, this film became a trending topic on social media.

他们聊了很久，换了好几个话题。 Tāmen liáo le hěn jiǔ, huàn le hǎo jǐ gè huàtí. They chatted for a long time and switched through several topics.

这是一个敏感话题，需要谨慎讨论。 Zhè shì yīgè mǐngǎn huàtí, xūyào jǐnshèn tǎolùn. This is a sensitive topic that requires careful discussion.

他善于找到合适的话题打开话匣子。 Tā shànyú zhǎodào héshì de huàtí dǎkāi huàxiázi. He is skilled at finding the right topic to start a conversation.

环境保护已经成为全球关注的共同话题。 Huánjìng bǎohù yǐjīng chéngle quánqiú guānzhù de gòngtóng huàtí. Environmental protection has become a shared topic of global attention.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
热门话题 (rèmén huàtí)	hot/trending topic
敏感话题 (mǐngǎn huàtí)	sensitive topic
转换话题 (zhuǎnhuàn huàtí)	to change the subject
引发话题 (yǐnfā huàtí)	to spark a topic
社会话题 (shèhuì huàtí)	social topic

Usage Notes

话题 is less formal than 议题 (yìtí, agenda item) and more conversational in feel. It is the go-to word for topics that arise naturally in conversation or social media, not necessarily in a formal meeting context.

In the digital age, 话题 is used extensively in social media (微博话题, Weibo topic; 热搜话题, trending search topic). The phrase #话题# (hashtag format) is used to mark trending topics on Chinese platforms.

Memory Hook

话 (words/speech) + 题 (topic/question): the topic around which words flow -- a conversation topic.