問題
mondai[mõ̞nda̠i]
The Japanese word for problem is 問題 (mondai).
問題 is a versatile noun used to describe a question or problem to be solved, such as a mathematical problem, as well as a larger social or personal issue.
Meaning: difficulty (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of two parts: the first kanji character 問 means question or inquiry, and the second character 題 means topic, subject or theme.
How do you pronounce it?
mondai
Did you know?
- While 問題 can mean a social issue, if a Japanese person says 'mondai ga aru' (there is a problem) regarding a person, they might actually be implying that the person is a troublemaker.
- The word 問題 is used to describe the 'issue' in a debate, but if a problem is a sudden malfunction or accident, Japanese speakers prefer the word トラブル (toraburu).
- In a classroom setting, 問題 (mondai) refers specifically to the questions on an exam or exercise, rather than a difficulty or a dilemma.
Examples in context
- 問題ないよ。No problem!This example shows how to use 問題 to say there is no problem.Tatoeba #79868 by tommy_san, translation #413611 by blay_paul
- 問題だなあ。It's a problem.This example shows how to use 問題 to state that something is a problem.Tatoeba #79875 by small_snow, translation #1170375 by CK
- 何が問題なの？Where is the problem?This example shows how to use 問題 to ask where a problem lies.Tatoeba #4848 by bunbuku, translation #1431 by Zifre
- 先週の会議での問題点を解決する必要があります。We need to address the issues from last week's meeting.
- プロジェクトの課題について話し合いましょう。Let's discuss the challenges of the project.
- 昨日のテストで大きな問題があったんだ。There was a big problem on yesterday's test, you know.
- 電車の遅延で困ってしまいました。I got into trouble due to the train delay.
- 425 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are discussing a technical issue at work.
- 美咲 Misakiこの問題は、どうすれば解決できるかな？Kono mondai wa, dou sureba kaiketsu dekiru kana?I wonder how we can solve this problem?
- 健太 Kenta僕が新しい方法を考えてみるよ。Boku ga atarashii houhou wo kangaete miru yo.I will try to think of a new way.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さん、よろしくお願いします。Kenta-san, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Kenta, please do that.
- 健太 Kenta任せて、すぐに解決するから。Makasete, sugu ni kaiketsu suru kara.Leave it to me, I'll solve it quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “problem” translations and entries 問題, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
