Meaning of 问
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to ask; to inquire
How to use 问
问 means to ask someone something, and the person you ask usually comes right after it: 问 + person + question. It also appears in polite openers like 请问 (qǐngwèn) and in words like 问题 (wèntí). Example: 我问老师一个问题。(Wǒ wèn lǎoshī yí gè wèntí.) I ask the teacher a question.
问 (wèn) shows a mouth 口 inside a doorway 门. Picture someone standing at a door and calling out a question to whoever is inside.
Common mistake: Learners often use 问 for asking someone to do something, but that is 请 (qǐng) or 让 (ràng). 问 is only for asking questions, so say 我请他帮忙 (wǒ qǐng tā bāngmáng), not 我问他帮忙.
问 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
问 wèn · to ask · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 问.
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | Excuse me, may I ask...? |
| 问题 | wèntí | question; problem |
| 问路 | wènlù | to ask for directions; to ask the way (to some place) |
| 访问 | fǎngwèn | to visit; to call on (a person or place); (computing) to visit (a website); to access (a n |
| 提问 | tíwèn | to question; to quiz; to grill |
| 问候 | wènhòu | to give one's respects; to send a greeting |
| 疑问 | yíwèn | question; interrogation |
| 学问 | xuéwen | learning; knowledge; scholarship; a body of specialized knowledge (CL:門|门[men2]); (fig.) a |
| 顾问 | gùwèn | adviser; consultant |
| 询问 | xúnwèn | to inquire; to ask about |
| 慰问 | wèiwèn | to express sympathy, greetings, consolation etc |
| 反问 | fǎnwèn | to ask (a question) in reply; to answer a question with a question |
Questions about 问
What does 问 mean?
问 (wèn) means "to ask; to inquire" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 问?
问 is made of 1 character: 问 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 问 an HSK word?
Yes. 问 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 问 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 问 is written 問.
What is the difference between 问 and 请问?
问 is the plain verb "to ask." 请问 (qǐngwèn) is a polite phrase meaning "excuse me, may I ask," used to start a question to a stranger, as in 请问，厕所在哪儿？(Qǐngwèn, cèsuǒ zài nǎr?) Excuse me, where is the restroom?
How do I say "say hello to someone for me" with 问?
Use 问好 (wènhǎo) with 向 or 替: 替我向你妈妈问好。(Tì wǒ xiàng nǐ māma wènhǎo.) Say hello to your mom for me. The more formal word 问候 (wènhòu) means to send greetings or regards.