Chinese character · HSK 1
问 (wèn) — “to ask”
A visually intuitive compound: a mouth (口) placed right at a door (门), representing someone calling out to ask a question.
How to remember 问
Stand at the door (门) and open your mouth (口) to ASK if anyone is home.
Inside the character
- 门 (gate / door) — meaning component. A double-leaf gate — often marks doors, entrances, or thresholds.
- 口 (mouth) — meaning component. Often marks speaking, eating, or any opening.
Where 问 comes from
Historically a phono-semantic compound (問) where 門 (door) provided the phonetic hint and context, and 口 (mouth) provided the meaning of asking. In simplified Chinese (问), it functions perfectly as a semantic compound for learners.
Words that use 问
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 问题 | wèn tí | question / problem | HSK 2 |
| 访问 | fǎng wèn | to visit / to call on | HSK 3 |
| 请问 | qǐng wèn | Excuse me / may I ask...? | HSK 1 |
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More characters: 麦 (mài, wheat) · 串 (chuàn, to string together / skewer) · 付 (fù, to pay / to hand over) — or browse the full character library.