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拷问 (kǎo wèn) — to interrogate with torture; to subject to the third degree

Definition

拷问 (kǎowèn) specifically means interrogating under torture or extreme pressure, not ordinary questioning — stronger than 审问, which is neutral 'interrogate'. Often appears in legal or historical contexts about cruelty or abuse of power.

verb
to interrogate with tortureto subject to the third degree

Examples

  • 拷问。
    Jǐng chá zài shěn wèn fàn rén shí bù néng kǎo wèn.
    Police cannot interrogate with torture when questioning suspects.
  • ，拷问。
    Lì shǐ shàng, hěn duō wú gū de rén bèi kǎo wèn.
    In history, many innocent people were tortured and interrogated.
  • 拷问。
    Zhè zhǒng cán kù de kǎo wèn fāng fǎ bèi fǎ lǜ jìn zhǐ.
    This cruel method of torture-interrogation is prohibited by law.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

拷kǎotorture
问wènask

拷问 combines 拷 meaning torture and 问 meaning ask to mean interrogate by torture.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
考
考kǎo拷kǎo
Same sound today

拷 puts 扌 (hand) beside 考, which gives the sound; this form replaced the earlier 考.

Open 拷 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén問wèn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →
Appears in
Crime & Police

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