Several parts combine into one character.

議 is a phonetic-semantic compound: 言 (speech) + 義 (yì, "righteousness / what is right"). 義 supplies both the sound and an essential semantic contribution: discussion is conceived as speech aimed at determining what is right. The composite captures the philosophical heart of deliberation — to discuss is to weigh competing claims about what is correct. The 言 radical anchors the entire CJK vocabulary of structured speech: 議 (discuss), 論 (theorize / argue), 訴 (appeal / sue), 訓 (instruct), 詠 (recite). Mainland simplified to 议.

Korean reading "ui." 議論 (uiron, discussion / debate — 의논 in modern reading), 會議 (hoeui, meeting — pervasive in Korean business and government), 議員 (uiwon, legislator / member of parliament), 議案 (uian, agenda item / bill), 協議 (hyeobui, consultation / negotiation), 動議 (dongui, motion — parliamentary procedure). Korean political vocabulary built around 의 saturates news coverage.

Mandarin yì, 4th tone (simplified 议). 议论 (yìlùn, to discuss / public opinion), 会议 (huìyì, meeting / conference — top-frequency word), 议会 (yìhuì, parliament — used for foreign legislatures: 美国议会 American Congress), 提议 (tíyì, to propose), 商议 (shāngyì, to consult / discuss), 抗议 (kàngyì, protest / objection). Modern Chinese politics and business vocabulary depend heavily on 议.

Japanese on-reading ギ (gi) — 会議 (kaigi, meeting — central to Japanese corporate and government life; the 会議室 kaigi-shitsu is the universal meeting room), 議論 (giron, debate / argument), 議員 (giin, Diet member / legislator), 議会 (gikai, assembly / parliament — used for foreign legislatures), 国会 (kokkai — Diet, Japan's legislature). Japan's political journalism leans heavily on 議 vocabulary: 与党議員 yotō giin "ruling party legislator," 議事録 gijiroku "meeting minutes."

Memory aid: speech (言) + righteousness (義) — speaking together to determine what is right = discussion.