問

音読おんよみ: モン

訓読くんよみ: とう・とい・とん

画数かくすう: 11

部首ぶしゅ: 門（もんがまえ）

Meaning

Question / Ask / Inquire

  • Basic forms
  • 問う — to ask; to inquire; to question / base form
  • 問います — (I) ask; inquire / masu form
  • 問うた — asked; inquired / ta form
  • 問うて — ask and … / te-form
  • 問わない — do not ask / negative form
  • 問えば — if (you) ask / conditional
  • 問え — ask! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 責任を問う — to hold someone responsible
  • 安全性を問う — to question safety
  • More
  • 問いたい — want to ask / 〜たい form
  • 問える — can ask / potential
  • 問えない — cannot ask / negative potential
  • 問っている — is asking / progressive
  • 問わなかった — didn’t ask / past negative

問う（とう） is a godan verb with special conjugation patterns. Although it ends in う, the stem alternates as 問わ → 問う / 問います / 問うた. Often used in formal or written contexts such as 問題を問う or 責任を問う.

  • 質問しつもん — question
  • 問題もんだい — problem, issue
  • 訪問ほうもん — visit
  • 問屋とんや — wholesale store
  • 問答もんどう — dialogue, Q&A
  • 問とい合あわせ — inquiry

The character 問 is composed of the radical 門もん (gate) and the component 口くち (mouth). It symbolizes someone speaking through a gate — representing inquiry, questioning, or requesting information from the other side.

質問しつもんがあれば、どうぞ。
If you have any questions, please ask.

問題もんだいを 解といてください。
Please solve the problem.

題
Creates
問題もんだい — problem / question
◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎