问/問 wèn — to ask, to inquire; to ask after, to send regards; to question, to interrogate

Pinyin

• wèn (fourth tone, falling)

to ask, to inquire; to ask after, to send regards; to question, to interrogate

Character breakdown

• 门sound part门 mén for the sound alone. That is why Kangxi files the character under the mouth and not under the gate.
• 口meaning partThe mouth, standing in the gateway: the question is what is done here.

Mnemonic

A mouth 口 framed in a gateway 门. The gate is there for the sound — mén gives wèn — but the picture holds anyway: someone at the door, asking. 请问 is the polite opening of any question to a stranger, 问题 is a question or a problem, and 问好 is to send greetings: 请代我问他好.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 问

• 问题/問題wèntí (fourth tone, falling)question
• 问/問wèn (fourth tone, falling)to ask, to inquire

Radical 口 — other characters

• 口kǒu (third tone, dipping)mouth; an opening or entrance; measure word for members of a household
• 名míng (second tone, rising)name; given name; reputation, famous; measure word for people counted by rank or role
• 吃chī (first tone, high and level)to eat; to take (a meal, medicine); to absorb, to take in
• 喜xǐ (third tone, dipping)to like, to be fond of; joy, delight; a happy event, especially a wedding
• 喝hē (first tone, high and level) hè (fourth tone, falling)to drink; (hè) to shout loudly, to call out