On major affairs of state one must consult the elder ministers.
Tips
history
谘 is not normally used on its own in modern Chinese; the everyday character for 'to consult' is 咨 (as in 咨询). 谘 is its literary variant, kept alive mainly in Hong Kong/Taiwan terms like 谘询 and in classical phrases such as 谘事.
register
Literary / variant — in Mainland Chinese write 咨; 谘 appears mostly in older and regional usage.
The speech radical 讠 (side form of 言) marks 谘 as an act of talking — here, consulting and seeking advice. Same radical as 询 to inquire and 议 to discuss.
Right side 咨 supplies the sound zī directly with no shift, and is itself the standard character for 'to consult'. So it doubles as both the phonetic and a clear meaning hint: 谘 is just 咨 with the speech radical added.
