A talking-to is when someone tells you off — speaks to you angrily or seriously because you did something wrong. It is almost always used with the verb 'give': 'give someone a talking-to', or sometimes 'get a talking-to'.

A talking-to is就是 when someone tells you off有人把你數落一頓——because you did something wrong因為你做錯了事，speaks to you angrily or seriously用生氣或嚴肅的口氣對你說話。It它 almost always幾乎都 with the verb 'give'和動詞 'give' is used搭配使用：'give someone a talking-to'訓了某人一頓，or sometimes或有時 'get a talking-to'挨了一頓訓。

The person doing it is usually above the other person in some way: a parent to a child, a teacher to a student, a boss to a worker, a coach to a player. You would not normally say your friend gave you a talking-to, unless you were joking.

The person doing it做這件事的人 usually通常 in some way在某方面 is above the other person位置比對方高：a parent to a child父母對小孩、a teacher to a student老師對學生、a boss to a worker老闆對員工、a coach to a player教練對球員。You would not normally say你通常不會說 your friend gave you a talking-to朋友訓了你一頓，unless you were joking除非你在開玩笑。

Notice that it is a noun, even though it is made of two little verb-ish words, so it takes 'a': a talking-to, two talking-tos.

Notice that注意 it is a noun它是名詞，even though雖然 it is made of它是由 two little verb-ish words兩個像動詞的小字組成，so it takes 'a'所以前面要加 'a'：a talking-to、two talking-tos。

The feeling of the word is important. It sounds slightly light, slightly warm — a talking-to is serious words, but it is not a punishment, and it usually ends there. A parent who gives a child a stern talking-to is not hitting the child or taking anything away; they are just saying, at length and with a hard face, that this must not happen again.

of the word這個字 The feeling帶的感覺 is important很重要。It sounds它聽起來 slightly light, slightly warm有點輕、有點溫暖——a talking-to is serious words是嚴肅的話，but it is not a punishment但不是處罰，and it usually ends there而且通常說完就結束了。who gives a child a stern talking-to狠狠訓了小孩一頓的 A parent父母，is not hitting the child並沒有打小孩 or taking anything away也沒有沒收任何東西；they are just他們只是 at length and with a hard face拉長時間、板著一張臉 saying在說：that this must not happen again這種事絕不能再發生。

Because of that soft edge, people often use it half-jokingly, even about themselves: 'I gave myself a good talking-to and got back to work.' Words that live near it: 'a telling-off' (British, very close in meaning), 'a lecture' (longer and more boring), 'a scolding' (a bit more old-fashioned and more formal in writing).

Because of that soft edge因為帶著這一點柔軟，people often use it人們常拿它 half-jokingly半開玩笑地用，even about themselves甚至用在自己身上：'I gave myself a good talking-to and got back to work.'我好好訓了自己一頓，然後回去工作。Words that live near it住在它附近的字：'a telling-off'（British英式，very close in meaning意思非常接近）、'a lecture'（longer and more boring更長也更無聊）、'a scolding'（a bit more old-fashioned稍微老派一點，and more formal in writing書面上也更正式）。