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问话 (wèn huà) — to inquire, to question (someone)

Definition

问话 is a verb-object phrase meaning to question or interrogate someone, often used in formal contexts like police interviews or official inquiries. Focuses on the act of questioning a person, unlike simply asking 问.

verb
to inquireto question (someone)

Examples

  • 问话。
    Jǐng chá zhèng zài duì tā jìn xíng wèn huà.
    The police are questioning him.
  • 。
    Tā zhī wèn le jǐ jù huà jiù zǒu le.
    He only asked a few questions and then left.
  • 。
    Lǎo shī wèn wán huà hòu ràng xué shēng men lí kāi.
    After finishing the questioning, the teacher let the students leave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

问wènask
话huàwords

问 means to ask and 话 means words or questions, so the parts build the sense of questioning someone.

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 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 →

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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