Usage note
“问”是表示询问的动作，比如向别人提出问题。
wèn shì biǎoshì wènshí de dòngzuò, rúkě xiàng bāoren tí chū wèntí。
"问" is an action to ask questions, like asking someone a question.
Context note
“问”常用于日常对话中，比如在课堂上向老师提问或在家里询问父母意见。
wèn cháng yòng yú rìcháng huàdào zhōng, rúkě zài kǎotáng shàng xiàng lǎoshī tí wèntí huò zài jīntiān xúnzhí mǔqīn yīnyì。
"问" is commonly used in daily conversations, such as asking a teacher a question in class or seeking parents' opinions at home.
5 examples
你问他问题。
nǐ wèn tā wèn tí。
You ask him a question.
她问我答案。
tā wèn wǒ dá àn。
She asks me the answer.
妈妈问我作业。
mā ma wèn wǒ zuò yè。
Mom asks me about my homework.
老师问我们问题。
lǎo shī wèn wǒ men wèn tí。
The teacher asks us questions.
他问我几点上课。
tā wèn wǒ jǐ diǎn shàng kè。
He asks me what time class starts.
5 mini stories
妈妈问你作业做完了吗？你回答说已经完成了。
mā ma wèn nǐ zuò yè zuò wán le ma？ nǐ huí dá shuō yǐ jīng wán chéng le。
Mom asks if you've finished your homework. You answer that you have completed it.
老师问同学们问题，大家都积极举手回答。
lǎo shī wèn tóng xué men wèn tí， dà jiā dōu jī jí jǔ shǒu huí dá。
The teacher asks the students questions, and everyone raises their hands to answer.
爸爸问你今天过得怎么样？你说很好。
bà ba wèn nǐ jīn tiān guò dé zěn me yàng？ nǐ shuō hěn hǎo。
Dad asks you how your day was. You say it was good.
朋友问你周末打算做什么？你告诉他准备去公园玩。
péng yǒu wèn nǐ zhōu mò dǎ suàn zuò shén me？ nǐ gào sù tā zhǔn bèi qù gōng yuán wán。
A friend asks what you plan to do this weekend. You tell him you're going to the park to play.
姐姐问弟弟今天在学校学了什么？弟弟说学了数学和语文。
jiě jie wèn dì di jīn tiān zài xué xiào xué le shén me？ dì di shuō xué le shù xué hé yǔ wén。
The older sister asks her younger brother what he learned at school today. The brother says they studied math and Chinese.
Mini dialogue
问问题
A
老师，我可以问一个问题吗？
Lǎoshī, wǒ kěyǐ wèn yī gè wèntí ma?
Teacher, may I ask a question?
B
当然可以，你问吧。
Dāngrán kěyǐ, nǐ wèn ba.
Of course, go ahead and ask.
问路
A
请问，图书馆怎么走？
Qǐng wèn, túshūguǎn zěnme zǒu?
Excuse me, how do I get to the library?
B
你问对了，就在前面。
Nǐ wèn duì le, jiù zài qiánmiàn.
You asked the right person, it's just ahead.
Related words and contrasts
opposite
答
dá
to answer
问 means to ask, 答 means to answer.
related
说
shuō
to speak, to say
问 is a way of speaking to get information.