(wèn) - to ask, to inquire in Mandarin
wènTraditional: 問
Translation
to ask, to inquire
Word origin
The character 问 (wèn) 'to ask' is a phono-semantic compound: the 口 'mouth' radical sits inside the 门 (mén) 'gate/door' frame, which supplies the sound. One may picture asking a question at a doorway.
- Origin
- phono-semantic compound
- Root
- 门 (mén, phonetic) + 口 (mouth radical)
Stroke order
问
Examples
。
I want to ask you a question.
。
Stop asking.
。
He asked me where I was.
。
I would like to ask for directions.
。
She asked me how my family was.
问 (wèn) means to ask, to inquire. It is used as a verb in everyday Mandarin speech.
Where this fits
Appears in 2 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 问.
Used in
Stories
(17)不知道在哪里
2 min read · Core 1000
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错过公车
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大伟的工作
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最后的车
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4 min read · Core 1000
卖东西的地方
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4 min read · Core 1000
别人的信
5 min read · Core 5000
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5 min read · Core 5000
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5 min read · Core 1000
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5 min read · Core 5000
汤姆找路
5 min read · Core 5000
一直开
5 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(16)The Mandarin 把 (bǎ) Construction: Fronting the Object to Say What You Did To It
Mandarin Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Mandarin 除了...以外: One Frame, Two Opposite Meanings
Chinese Measure Words (Mandarin Classifiers): The Core Dozen, Which One Your Noun Takes, and the Safe Default
Mandarin Conditionals: 如果, 要是, 的话 and the 就 That Finishes the Sentence
How to Say Even Though and Even If in Mandarin: 虽然, 即使, 就算 and 尽管
Mandarin Existential and Presentative Sentences: 有, 出现, 发生 and Why New Things Go After the Verb
Formal Mandarin Connectives: 然而, 因此, 于是 and 尽管 (The Written Register)
就 (jiù) vs 才 (cái) in Mandarin: Sooner Than Expected, Later Than Expected
Mandarin Possession with 有 (yǒu): To Have
Mandarin Requests and Imperatives: 请, 别, 不要, the Softening Particles 吧/啊, and Verb Reduplication
The Mandarin 所 (suǒ) Family: 所有, 所谓, 所 + Verb, and the 为...所 Passive
Topic-Comment Structure in Mandarin: Fronting 这本书我看过 and Why Word Order Bends
Mandarin Verb Reduplication: 看看, 看一看, 休息休息 and the 一下 Alternative
The Mandarin 于 (yú) Family: 对于, 关于, 由于, 至于, 属于, 位于, 终于
Mandarin 之 (zhī): 之一, 之间, 之后, 之中, 总之 and the Written Ancestor of 的
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问: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "问" (to ask, to inquire): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 5.