How to say 'Question' or 'Ask' in Japanese | 問う

Wondering how to say 'Question' or 'Ask' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Question or Ask is 'Tou', written as 問う in Japanese.'Question' or 'Ask' in hiragana is とう.

word

問う

Meaning

Question, Ask

Reading

とう

tou

Kanji

問Question, Problem

Explanation

The Japanese verb '問う (とう)' primarily means 'to ask' or 'to question'. It is used when someone is seeking information or clarification, often in a formal or serious context. This verb can also imply a deeper inquiry or examination, such as questioning the validity or truth of something. For example: The lawyer asked the witness「弁護士は証人に問うた」(べんごしはしょうにんにとうた). We must question the meaning of life「人生の意味を問わなければならない」(じんせいのいみをとうなければならない). Note that '問う' is more formal and less commonly used in casual conversation compared to '聞く (きく)', which also means 'to ask'.

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

1449

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 問う

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

問

Meaning

Question, Problem

Hiragana in the Word 問う

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

う

Reading

Words Related to 問う Through the Kanji 問

These 11 Words contain the Kanji 問 as well.

word

問題

Meaning

Question, Problem

word

質問

Meaning

Question

word

疑問

Meaning

Doubt

word

学問

Meaning

Learning, Scholarship

word

問い

Meaning

Question

word

問い合わせる

Meaning

Inquire

word

問屋

Meaning

Wholesaler

word

問答

Meaning

Dialogue

word

訪問

Meaning

Visit

word

問い合わせ

Meaning

Inquiry

word

顧問

Meaning

Advisor

Learn the Word 問う

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What does 'Tou' (問う) mean?

'Tou' means 'Question' or 'Ask' .

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