ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

to ask

wèn
6 strokes · 门 (door) + 口 (mouth) · HSK 1

Where 问 comes from

问 (traditional 問) = 门 (door) + 口 (mouth) — a beautiful little scene: a mouth at the door, asking to be let in, asking after the household. To ASK, to inquire.

问 in Chinese culture

问 is 'to ask': 问你 (ask you, with 你), 请问 (qǐngwèn, 'may I ask…' — the polite opener for any question to a stranger: 请问,洗手间在哪里?). It also means to send regards: 问好 (with 好) — '请帮我问他好' = 'please give him my regards'. And 问题 (wèntí) is 'a question / a problem'. From a mouth at the door, 问 became the character of curiosity and courtesy.

Example

请问 qǐngwèn — excuse me / may I ask

请问,你叫什么名字?
Qǐngwèn, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Excuse me, what's your name?

How to remember it

A mouth (口) at the door (门) — to ASK.

请问 ('may I ask') is the polite way to open any question to a stranger: 请问,洗手间在哪里? ('Excuse me, where's the restroom?'). 问好 means to send someone your regards.

Same sound, different tones

1st wēn
warm
2nd wén
writing
3rd wěn
stable
4th wèn
to ask

Words unlocked by 问

请问 qǐngwèn
may I ask / excuse me
问好 wènhǎo
to send regards
LEARN 问 WITH STROKE-BY-STROKE WRITING → DOWNLOAD ZHIZHI
One character a morning · 169-character HSK library · iOS