问询 (wèn xún) — to inquire, to ask about (formal)

Definition

问询 is the formal, written register of 'to inquire' — used at service desks, in official contexts, more elevated than the everyday 问.

verb

to inquireto ask about (formal)

Examples

问询。
Wǒ xiǎng wèn xún yí xià háng bān xìn xī.
I want to inquire about flight information.
问询。
Qǐng dào fú wù tái wèn xún jù tǐ shì yí.
Please go to the service desk to inquire about the specific details.
问询。
Tā wèn xún le shì qing de jīng guò.
He inquired about the details of what happened.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

问wènask

询xúninquire

问 and 询 both mean to ask or inquire, so together they form a formal way of asking about something.

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.

門口問

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 詢; 询 is its simplified writing.

言旬詢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yán

Sound part声符shēngfú

旬

旬xún詢xún

Same sound today

The traditional form 詢 pairs 言 (speech) with 旬, which gives its sound; the simplified 询 is a shorthand.

Open 询 →