Kanji 問

音読おんよみ: モン

訓読くんよみ:・と・とん

画数かくすう: 11

部首ぶしゅ: もんがまえ(門)

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
  • 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 / want to
  • 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 / negative past

問う(とう) is a godan verb with special conjugation patterns (問わ → 問う / 問います / 問うた). Often used in formal or written contexts.

  • 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
  • わせ — inquiry
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
  • わせる — to inquire; to make an inquiry
  • なおす — to question again; to recheck
  • める — to press with questions; to interrogate
  • ける — to pose a question; to raise an issue

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

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