问

問

wèn

口 + 门

HSK 2.0Level 2

HSK 3.0Level 1

Frequency#137

Definitions

wèn (verb) to ask; to inquire

Etymology

Simplified form of 問. Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 门 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 门

About

The character "问" developed from its traditional form "問", structurally composed of the phonetic element "門" and the semantic component "口" to signify speech-based inquiry. Its early meaning focused on the act of posing questions, but over centuries of use in literary and legal texts, it acquired extended applications such as formal interrogation or examining a matter. The simplified form "问" preserves the "口" element while reducing "門" to "门", a structural modification that aligns with the character's ongoing function in denoting questions or requests for information.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我想问你一件事。

Wǒ xiǎng wèn nǐ yī jiàn shì.

I want to ask you something.

她经常问老师问题。

Tā jīngcháng wèn lǎoshī wèntí.

She often asks the teacher questions.

请问，图书馆在哪里？

Qǐngwèn, túshūguǎn zài nǎlǐ?

Excuse me, where is the library?

他问我能不能帮忙。

Tā wèn wǒ néng bù néng bāngmáng.

He asked me if I could help.

我问他为什么迟到。

Wǒ wèn tā wèishénme chídào.

I asked him why he was late.

这个问题很难回答。

Zhège wèntí hěn nán huídá.

This question is hard to answer.

她询问了事情的经过。

Tā xúnwèn le shìqíng de jīngguò.

She inquired about the course of events.

记者追问了事故的原因。

Jìzhě zhuīwèn le shìgù de yuányīn.

The reporter pressed for the cause of the accident.

Related Characters

Component: 口

Component: 门

问