TongTong
Sign in

问题 (wèn tí) — question; problem, issue

Definition

问题 covers both 'question' (asks for an answer) and 'problem' (something to solve). It is broader than 题, which usually means an exam or test item.

noun
questionproblemissue
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 问题？
    Zhè shì shén me wèn tí?
    What is this question?
  • 问题。
    Wǒ méi yǒu wèn tí.
    I have no problem.
  • 问题。
    Zhè ge wèn tí hěn dà.
    This problem is very big.

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
题títopic

问 (ask) + 题 (topic) gives a topic to ask about, hence a question or problem.

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 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì題tí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

Open 题 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 1500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 2Abstract Concepts1000 Most Frequent Chinese Words2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 1 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.