yíwèn

疑问 (pinyin: yíwèn) is a noun in Mandarin Chinese meaning a doubt or question. It denotes something that is unclear, disputed, or requires clarification or further investigation. In formal or written contexts it often carries a sense of a point that merits careful consideration, and it can be used interchangeably with 问题 in some situations, though 疑问 carries a nuance of doubt or need for explanation.

Common usages include phrases such as 提出疑问 (to raise a question or doubt), 解答疑问 or 回答疑问 (to answer the questions), and 解决疑问 (to resolve the doubts). The term 疑问句 refers to an interrogative sentence. In everyday speech, people may simply say 有疑问 to indicate that they have a doubt.

Etymology and form: 疑问 is a two-character compound from the characters 疑, meaning doubt or suspicion, and 问, meaning to ask. In modern Chinese it appears in both simplified form 疑问 and traditional form 疑問. It is widely used across education, media, and formal discourse to signal a need for clarification or inquiry.

Related terms include 问题 (problem or question), 疑惑 (doubt or suspicion, often with a more emotional nuance), 疑义 (doubtful point), and 提问 (to pose a question). The distinction is that 疑问 emphasizes doubt or an item needing explanation, while 问题 is broader and may refer to any issue. Examples illustrate its use in academic, journalistic, and everyday contexts.