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追问 (zhuī wèn) — to question closely; to press for an answer; to probe

Definition

追问 means to press someone repeatedly with follow-up questions to pin down an answer. Unlike 探测 or 探测-type words, it is about questioning a person, not physical or scientific probing.

verb
to question closelyto press for an answerto probe

Examples

  • 追问。
    Jǐng chá zhuī wèn xián yí rén àn fā shí zài nǎ lǐ.
    The police pressed the suspect on where he was when the crime occurred.
  • 追问，。
    Jì zhě duì xì jié fǎn fù zhuī wèn, zhí dào dé dào dá àn.
    The reporter probed the details repeatedly until he got an answer.
  • 追问。
    Lǎo shī zhuī wèn tā wèi shén me méi wán chéng zuò yè.
    The teacher pressed him on why he hadn't finished the homework.

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.

追zhuīpursue
问wènask

追 adds the sense of pressing on, and 问 is asking; together they mean to press for an answer.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂤
𠂤𠂤追zhuī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 辶 part shows movement, while 𠂤 gives the sound, for the sense of moving after or pursuing.

Open 追 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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