JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
問 means question, problem. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 11 strokes, read とう or もん. It combines 口 (mouth), which carries the meaning, with 門, which is there for its sound もん. It appears in 質問 (question / inquiry) and 問題 (a problem).
問 is written in 11 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
問 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 質問 | しつもん | question / inquiry |
| 問題 | もんだい | a problem |
| 問答 | もんどう | questions and answers / dialogue |
門 tends to carry the sound もん. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 門 | もん | gate, counter for cannons |
| 問 | もん | question, ask |
| 聞 | もん | hear, ask |
These use 門 or 口 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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