问
to ask
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HSK level
- Pinyin
- wèn
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 2
- Strokes
- 6
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 问
问 is written with 6 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
What does 问 mean?
问 (wèn) is the basic Chinese verb 'to ask' — to put a question to someone.
It covers both asking for information (我想问一个问题, 'I want to ask a question') and asking after someone (问候, 'to send regards'). One difference from English: Chinese 问 takes the person being asked as a direct object without a preposition — 我问老师 ('I ask the teacher'), not 'I ask TO the teacher.' For polite requests like 'may I ask...?'
the standard opener is 请问 (qǐng wèn), which is the courteous way to start any question with a stranger. 问 also appears in many compounds: 问题 (question/problem), 问候 (regards), 询问 (to inquire, more formal), and 访问 (to visit / to interview).
Memory hook: 门 (door) + 口 (mouth) — you stand at the door and use your mouth to ask.
Hear 问 in real episodes
问 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
有人问过很多年轻人，上个星期有没有喝酒。
Someone asked many young people whether they had drunk alcohol last week.
Gallup: Gen Z Drinks Less Alcohol, but Not a Teetotal Generation
Example sentences
请问，洗手间在哪儿？
Qǐng wèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
polite
我可以问你一个问题吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ yí ge wèntí ma?
Can I ask you a question?
neutral
他问我为什么来中国。
Tā wèn wǒ wèi shénme lái Zhōngguó.
He asked me why I came to China.
neutral
替我问你妈妈好。
Tì wǒ wèn nǐ māma hǎo.
Say hello to your mom for me.
spoken
Common phrases with 问
Synonyms
More formal and written. Used in news, official contexts, and customer service: 警方正在询问目击者 ('police are questioning witnesses'). Everyday speech uses 问.
Polite 'to ask for advice/instruction' — used when asking someone more knowledgeable. 我想请教您一个问题 ('I'd like to consult you on a question'). 问 is neutral; 请教 shows respect.
Don't confuse 问 with
Frequently asked questions
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
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