Vocabulary · 词汇 cíhuì

问题

wèntí

One word that means both "question" and "problem," and the everyday phrases built from it: no problem, there's an issue, ask a question, solve a problem. A noun you will use every day.

~4 min read

字源 zìyuán Etymology & Structure

字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight

问 wèn (traditional 問) means to ask: a 口 kǒu (mouth) framed within 门 mén (gate/door), words spoken at the gate, an inquiry. 题 tí (traditional 題) means topic, subject, heading, the matter under examination (it is the 题 of 题目 a test question or title). Together 问题 is "the thing asked about," the topic put up for inquiry, which fans out naturally into both "a question" and "a problem to be addressed."

That double sense is the heart of the word and the thing for a learner to internalise. A 问题 is anything placed before you to be resolved: it might be a question awaiting an answer or a problem awaiting a solution. English splits these into two words; Chinese keeps them as one, and lets context decide. The verb 问 inside the noun is a useful anchor: to ask a question is 问问题, literally "ask-question," the verb and the noun sharing the same 问.

问题 wèntí The Core Word

问题 wèntí question; problem; issue

N 名词 míngcí

A question, a problem, or an issue, the sense set by context. Its measure word is 个 (一个问题, a question/problem). It pairs with a small set of high-frequency verbs: 问 / 提 (ask, raise a question), 回答 (answer), 解决 (solve), 出 (a problem arises). One of the most common abstract nouns in the language.

我有一个问题。

Wǒ yǒu yí ge wèntí.

I have a question. / I have a problem.

这是一个很难的问题。

Zhè shì yí ge hěn nán de wèntí.

This is a difficult question / problem.

我们一起解决这个问题。

Wǒmen yìqǐ jiějué zhège wèntí.

Let's solve this problem together.

常用搭配 chángyòng dāpèi Common Phrases

没问题 méi wèntí no problem; sure; that's fine

One of the most useful everyday phrases, used to agree to a request, reassure, or confirm that something will be fine. Equivalent to "no problem / sure / consider it done." A warm, willing reply.

「你能来吗？」「没问题！」

"Nǐ néng lái ma?" "Méi wèntí!"

"Can you come?" "No problem!"

有问题 yǒu wèntí there's a problem; there's a question

The genuinely ambiguous phrase: it can mean "I have a question" or "there's a problem / something's wrong," and only context disambiguates. 有问题吗？after an explanation means "any questions?"; 这里有问题 about a machine means "there's a problem here."

如果有问题，请告诉我。

Rúguǒ yǒu wèntí, qǐng gàosu wǒ.

If there's a problem (or a question), please tell me.

出问题 chū wèntí a problem occurs; something goes wrong

Here 问题 is unambiguously "problem": 出 chū (to emerge, arise) + 问题 = "a problem crops up, something breaks down." Used for malfunctions, complications, and things going wrong. Contrast 解决问题 (solve a problem) and 发现问题 (spot a problem).

电脑出问题了。

Diànnǎo chū wèntí le.

The computer has a problem / something went wrong with the computer.

两个意思 liǎng ge yìsi Two Senses — Question vs. Problem

辨析 biànxī · Reading the Context

Because 问题 carries both "question" and "problem," the surrounding words and situation tell you which is meant. In a learning or discussion setting, the verbs 问 (ask) and 回答 (answer) signal "question": 问问题 (ask a question), 回答问题 (answer a question), 问题很难 in a test means "the question is hard." In a situation where something has gone wrong, the verbs 出 (arise), 解决 (solve), and 发现 (discover) signal "problem": 出问题 (a problem arises), 解决问题 (solve a problem).

A few collocations lean one way by habit. 思想问题 (an attitude/ideological problem), 健康问题 (a health problem), and 问题严重 (the problem is serious) are all "problem." 提问题 (to raise/pose a question) and 问题与解答 (questions and answers) are "question." When you genuinely cannot tell, as with a bare 有问题, that ambiguity is real and native speakers rely on context exactly as you must. The safest habit is to read the verb attached to 问题.

成语 chéngyǔ Set Phrases

毫无问题 háo wú wèntí without the slightest problem; absolutely fine A stronger, more emphatic version of 没问题, using 毫无 ("not the slightest"). It asserts that something is completely fine or certain, with no doubt or difficulty whatever. Common in confident assurances and formal contexts.

问题的关键 wèntí de guānjiàn the crux of the problem; the key issue A very common phrase pairing 问题 with 关键 (key, crux) to point at the heart of a matter: 问题的关键在于… ("the crux of the problem lies in…"). Used constantly in analysis and discussion to single out what really matters, the decisive point on which everything turns.

实事求是 shí shì qiú shì to seek truth from facts — address problems realistically A classical phrase, later a famous modern slogan, meaning to approach a 问题 on the basis of facts rather than wishful thinking or ideology. 实事 (real matters) + 求是 (seek what is so). The standard expression for a pragmatic, evidence-based way of analysing and solving problems.