Talk down to Meaning in English
expression
ˈtɔk/ /ˈdaʊn/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ
TAWK-DOWN-too, tah, tih
tˈɔːk/ /dˈaʊn/ /tˈuː
TAWK-DOWN-too
Definition
To speak to someone as if they are less intelligent or important than you, often in a patronizing or disrespectful way.
Usage & Nuances
Informal and often negative; used to criticize someone's arrogant or patronizing tone. Common in phrases like "Don’t talk down to me". Can apply to adults, children, or colleagues.
Spanish: hablarle con condescendencia - tratarle como inferiorPortuguese (BR): falar com superioridade - tratar com condescendênciaPortuguese (PT): falar com superioridade - tratar com condescendênciaChinese (Simplified): 居高临下地说话 - 以高人一等的口吻说话Chinese (Traditional): 居高臨下地說話 - 以高人一等的口吻說話Hindi: नीचा दिखाकर बात करना - घमंड से बात करनाArabic: التحدث بتعالٍ - التحدث بفوقيةBengali: উপহাস করে কথা বলা - ছোট করে কথা বলাRussian: снисходительно разговаривать - говорить свысокаJapanese: 見下したように話す - 上から目線で話すVietnamese: nói chuyện coi thường - nói chuyện khinh thườngKorean: 깔보듯이 말하다 - 우월하게 말하다Turkish: üstten bakarak konuşmak - küçümseyerek konuşmakUrdu: تحقیر آمیز انداز میں بات کرنا - خود کو برتر سمجھ کر بات کرناIndonesian: meremehkan saat bicara - berbicara dengan nada merendahkan
Example Sentences
Please don't talk down to me during the meeting.
basic
She often talks down to her coworkers.
basic
Teachers shouldn't talk down to their students.
basic
I hate it when people talk down to me like I don’t understand anything.
natural
Try not to talk down to customers—they notice when you do.
natural
He doesn't mean to talk down to you—he just explains things in a simple way.
natural