What is the Kanji for "Question" and "Problem"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Question" and "Problem", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Question" and "Problem" is "問".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "To" and "Ton".

Its onyomi reading is "Mon".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "門" means "Gate" and can be read as "Mon" and "Kado". And The kanji "口" means "Mouth" and can be read as "Ku", "Kuchi", and "Kou".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "問" mean in japanese?

"問" means "Question" and "Problem".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

問題: "Problem". The Japanese noun '問題 (もんだい)' means 'problem'. This word is used to refer to an issue, difficulty, or challenge that needs to be addressed or resolved. It can be used in various contexts, such as personal, academic, or professional situations. For example: I have a problem with my computer - (私はコンピューターの問題がある). This math problem is difficult - (この数学の問題は難しい).

質問: "Question". The verbal noun '質問 (しつもん)' means 'question'. It is used to inquire about something, seek information, or ask for clarification. This word can be used in both formal and informal settings. For example: I have a question - (質問があります). Could you please answer my question? - (私の質問に答えていただけますか?)

問う: "Ask". The Japanese verb '問う (とう)' means 'to ask'. This verb is used when inquiring about something, requesting information, or posing a question. It can be used in a wide range of contexts, from formal to casual. For example: I asked the teacher a question - (先生に質問を問いました). Please ask your parents for permission - (両親に許可を問うてください).

疑問: "Doubt". The noun '疑問 (ぎもん)' means 'doubt'. This word refers to a feeling of uncertainty or a lack of confidence about something. It can be used to express a lack of understanding or a questioning about a particular situation or issue. For example: I have doubts about the plan - (その計画について疑問がある). She has many doubts about her future career - (彼女は将来の職業について多くの疑問を持っている).

学問: "Study". The Japanese verbal noun '学問 (がくもん)' means 'study'. This noun refers to the act of studying or learning, especially in an academic or scholarly context. It can be used to describe the pursuit of knowledge through formal education, research, or self-directed learning. For example: I enjoy the study of history - (私は歴史の学問を楽しんでいます). The university has a strong tradition of academic study - (その大学は学問の伝統が強い).

問い: "Question". The Japanese noun '問い (とい)' means 'question'. This word is used to refer to a sentence or expression that seeks information or a response. It can be used in various contexts, such as asking for clarification, seeking an answer, or eliciting information. For example: What is your question? - (あなたの問いは何ですか). I have a question for you - (あなたに問いがあります).

問い合わせる: "Inquire" or "Consult". The verb '問い合わせる (といあわせる)' means 'to inquire' or 'to consult'. This verb is used when you want to ask for information or advice about something. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. For example: I will inquire about the schedule - (私はスケジュールについて問い合わせるつもりです). Please consult with the manager - (マネージャーに問い合わせてください).

問屋: "Wholesaler". The Japanese noun '問屋 (とんや)' refers to a wholesaler, which is a business that sells goods in bulk to retailers, other wholesalers, or industrial, institutional, and commercial users, rather than directly to the general public. Wholesalers typically have large warehouses and deal in large volumes of goods. For example: The large department store buys all their merchandise from a wholesaler - (その大きな百貨店は、すべての商品を問屋から仕入れています).

問答: "Discussion". The Japanese verbal noun '問答 (もんどう)' means 'discussion'. This noun refers to a conversation or exchange of ideas between two or more people. It suggests a back-and-forth dialogue where questions are asked and answered. '問答' can be used to describe formal debates, academic discussions, or casual conversations where opinions are shared. For example: They had a long discussion about the topic - (その話題について長い問答があった). The student had a discussion with the teacher - (その学生は先生と問答した).

訪問: "Visit". The Japanese verbal noun '訪問 (ほうもん)' means 'visit'. This noun refers to the act of going to see or meet someone, usually at their home or place of business. It can be used in many contexts, such as visiting a friend, visiting a doctor, or visiting a historical site. For example: I will visit my grandparents - (私は祖父母を訪問する). The teacher visited the students - (先生は生徒を訪問した).

問い合わせ: "Inquiry". The Japanese noun '問い合わせ (といあわせ)' means 'inquiry'. It refers to the act of asking for information or making a request. This word is commonly used in business and customer service contexts, when a customer contacts a company with questions or to request assistance. For example: I have an inquiry about your product - (製品についての問い合わせがあります). Please send an inquiry to our customer support team - (顧客サポートチームに問い合わせをしてください).

顧問: "Adviser". The Japanese noun '顧問 (こもん)' refers to an adviser or counselor. The term is used to describe someone who provides guidance, expertise, and recommendations to an organization, company, or group. They are typically experienced professionals who offer advice on important matters. For example: The CEO relies on the company's advisers - (CEO は会社の顧問に頼っている). The corporation has several advisers on the board - (その企業には幾人かの顧問理事会がいる).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "も" is read as "mo". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". And The hiragana "と" is read as "to".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.