问 wèn — to ask
我想问你一个问题。Wǒ xiǎng wèn nǐ yí ge wèn tí.I want to ask you a question.
Common words: 问题 (wèn tí)、请问 (qǐng wèn)、问路 (wèn lù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to ask"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to ask", including 问 (wèn), 让 (ràng), 请 (qǐng), 索 (suǒ), 讯 (xùn). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to ask" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 问 (wèn), 让 (ràng), 请 (qǐng), 索 (suǒ), 讯 (xùn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span wèn, ràng, qǐng, suǒ, xùn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 问 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 问 wènto askUseful words: 问题, 请问
- 让 ràngto ask; to let; permit; have (someone do something); to yield; to allowUseful words: 转让, 让步
- 请 qǐngto ask; to invite; please (do sth); to treat (to a meal; etc); to requestUseful words: 请问, 请假
- 索 suǒto search; to demand; to ask; to exact; large rope; isolatedUseful words: 线索, 搜索
- 讯 xùnto question; to ask; to interrogate; rapid; speedy; fastUseful words: 通讯, 资讯
Common words for these 5 "to ask" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 问 (wèn) — so "to ask" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
问题wèn tíquestion; problem; issue; topic请问qǐng wènExcuse me, may I ask...?问路wèn lùto ask for directions; to ask the way (to some place)转让zhuǎn ràngto transfer (ownership, rights etc)让步ràng bùto concede; to give in; to yield; a concession让座ràng zuòto give up one's seat for sb请问qǐng wènExcuse me, may I ask...?请假qǐng jiàto request leave of absence请进qǐng jìn"please come in"线索xiàn suǒtrail; clues; thread (of a story)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 5 ways to say "to ask".
让 ràng — to ask; to let; permit; have (someone do something); to yield; to allow
请让我帮你吧。Qǐng ràng wǒ bāng nǐ ba.Please let me help you.
Common words: 转让 (zhuǎn ràng)、让步 (ràng bù)、让座 (ràng zuò)
请 qǐng — to ask; to invite; please (do sth); to treat (to a meal; etc); to request
我想请你吃晚饭。Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chī wǎn fàn.I would like to invite you to dinner.
Common words: 请问 (qǐng wèn)、请假 (qǐng jià)、请进 (qǐng jìn)
索 suǒ — to search; to demand; to ask; to exact; large rope; isolated
遇到难题，我们要积极思索。Yù dào nán tí, wǒ men yào jī jí sī suǒ.When facing a difficult problem, we should think actively.
Common words: 线索 (xiàn suǒ)、搜索 (sōu suǒ)、探索 (tàn suǒ)
讯 xùn — to question; to ask; to interrogate; rapid; speedy; fast
他给我发来了一条短讯。Tā gěi wǒ fā lái le yì tiáo duǎn xùn.He sent me a short message.
Common words: 通讯 (tōng xùn)、资讯 (zī xùn)、电讯 (diàn xùn)
All 5 characters
Open 问、让、请 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.