To Question Something
transitive verb, godan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means problem and this verb means to question something. That's because when you want to get to the bottom of a problem, you question things.
Note that this is a bit of a formal word, so watch out for the contexts it's used in!
Since this word has okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) you know that it's probably going to use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with the kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you remember this reading:
It's okay to question something, but you should be careful not to step on someone else's toes (と) by doing so. Questioning certain things can offend people, especially when they have strong feelings about it! So be careful about those toes.
あり方を問う
to question the way something is
意味を問う
to question a meaning
人間性を問う
to question someone's humanity
責任を問う
to hold someone accountable
センスが問われる
one's taste is called into question
あり方が問われる
the state of things is questioned
人間性が問われる
one's humanity is questioned
社会と人間のあり方を問うテーマです。
It is a theme that questions the way society and human beings should be.
その選手は来週の試合で実力が問われるだろう。
That player's abilities will likely be tested in next week's match.
今、学校のあり方が問われています。
Currently, the way schools operate is being questioned.