問 / 问
man⁶
The Cantonese verb for 'ask' is 問 / 问 (man⁶).
The verb 問 / 问 is used specifically when you are requesting an answer or seeking information through a question. It is distinct from verbs used to request that someone performs an action.
Meaning: request an answer (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use 問 when you want to ask a question. Do not use it to ask someone to do something.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say 'ask him' or 'ask her', place the pronoun directly after the verb, such as 問佢.
How do you pronounce it?
man⁶
Did you know?
- The character 問 visually depicts a 'door' 門 with a 'mouth' 口 inside it. This symbolizes a person putting their mouth to a door to ask who is inside.
- If you are 'asking' for permission, the verb 問 is often replaced by 攞, as in 攞許可, which literally translates to 'taking permission'.
- There is a common expression 問天, which means to 'ask heaven'. It is used when someone is in a hopeless situation and is questioning fate or a higher power.
Examples in context
- 我想問你一個問題。I want to ask you a question.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ask” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
