责问 (zé wèn) — to question reprovingly, to call to account

Definition

责问 is to question someone sharply because they have done something wrong — stronger and more accusatory than 问 (a neutral 'ask') or 询问 (a polite 'inquire').

verb
to question reprovinglyto call to account

Examples

  • 责问。
    Jīng lǐ zài huì shàng gōng kāi zé wèn tā wèi shén me méi wán chéng bào gào.
    The manager publicly called him to account in the meeting for not finishing the report.
  • 责问，。
    Miàn duì jì zhě de zé wèn, shì zhǎng méi yǒu zhí jiē huí dá.
    Facing the reporters' reproving questions, the mayor did not answer directly.
  • 责问。
    Fù mǔ yì zhí zé wèn hái zi wèi shén me zhè me wǎn huí jiā.
    The parents kept questioning the child reprovingly about why he came home so late.

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.

责zéreproach
问wènask

The reproach in 责 describes the manner of 问, giving a questioning rebuke.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 責; 责 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì責zé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 責 pairs 貝, cowry/money, with 朿 as the sound part; the simplified 责 is a later shorthand.

Open 责 →

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 →

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