तर्क-वितर्क (tark-vitark)

noun A compound noun meaning 'argument, debate, back-and-forth reasoning' -- तर्क (tark, 'argument/logic') doubled with its counterpart वितर्क (vitark, 'counter-argument') for emphasis. One sense.
Sense 1 : debate, back-and-forth argument/discussion
noun, masculine Usually appears with होना (honaa) or करना (karnaa): तर्क-वितर्क होना (tark-vitark honaa, 'for a debate to occur') is intransitive framing, तर्क-वितर्क करना (tark-vitark karnaa, 'to argue/debate') is transitive-flavored but object-less in practice.
Synonyms: बहस (bahas), वाद-विवाद (vaad-vivaad), बातचीत (baatchiit, only in weaker 'discussion' sense)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the kind of word you hear in news debates, panel discussions, or academic settings -- think of the shouting match on a Hindi news channel, which anchors might still dignify by calling it तर्क-वितर्क (tark-vitark) even when it is really just noise. The paired-word structure (तर्क (tark) plus its rhyming opposite वितर्क (vitark)) is a common Hindi pattern for building emphasis, similar to लेन-देन (len-den, 'give and take') or सोच-विचार (soch-vichaar, 'thinking over').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use बहस (bahas) and तर्क-वितर्क (tark-vitark) interchangeably, but तर्क-वितर्क (tark-vitark) leans more formal/intellectual, describing a reasoned exchange of views, while बहस (bahas) can mean a heated quarrel too. 2) It is a compound noun and is not split or reordered -- you cannot say वितर्क-तर्क (vitark-tark).
Sample Sentences:
टीवी पर दोनों नेताओं के बीच तर्क-वितर्क शुरू हो गया। A debate started between the two leaders on TV.
(tiivii par donon netaaon ke biich tark-vitark shuroo ho gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस मुद्दे पर काफी तर्क-वितर्क होता है। There is quite a bit of debate on this issue.
(is mudde par kaaphii tark-vitark hotaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्लास में छात्रों के बीच तर्क-वितर्क चल रहा था। A debate was going on among the students in class.
(klaas men chhaatron ke biich tark-vitark chal rahaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया बिना तर्क-वितर्क किए मेरी बात मान लो। Please accept what I'm saying without any back-and-forth argument.
(kripyaa binaa tark-vitark kie merii baat maan lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह इतना तर्क-वितर्क न करता, तो बात कब की सुलझ जाती। If he hadn't argued back and forth so much, the matter would have been resolved long ago.
(agar vah itnaa tark-vitark n kartaa, to baat kab kii sulajh jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
समिति की बैठक में नीति को लेकर काफी तर्क-वितर्क हुआ। There was considerable debate over the policy in the committee's meeting.
(samiti kii baithak men niiti ko lekar kaaphii tark-vitark huaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
समाचार चैनल की बहस में तर्क-वितर्क के नाम पर सिर्फ शोर-शराबा होता है। In the news channel's debate, in the name of argument, there is just shouting.
(samaachaar chainal kii bahas men tark-vitark ke naam par sirph shor-sharaabaa hotaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद इस सवाल पर और तर्क-वितर्क की ज़रूरत हो। Perhaps this question needs further debate.
(shaayad is savaal par aur tark-vitark kii zaroorat ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
यह फैसला लंबे तर्क-वितर्क के बाद लिया गया। This decision was taken after a long debate.
(yah phaislaa lambe tark-vitark ke baad liyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
संसद में इस बिल पर कल तर्क-वितर्क होगा। There will be debate on this bill in Parliament tomorrow.
(sansad men is bil par kal tark-vitark hogaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तर्क-वितर्क ([[तर्क-वितर्क]])
(sg.m.oblique): तर्क-वितर्क ([[तर्क-वितर्क]])
(pl.m.direct): तर्क-वितर्क ([[तर्क-वितर्क]])
(pl.m.oblique): तर्क-वितर्कों ([[तर्क-वितर्कों]])