问
wèn · HSK 1
ask
❓ 门 (door) + 口 (mouth) — knock on the door and open your mouth to ASK
问 = 门 (mén, door/gate) as the phonetic clue + 口 (mouth) inside. The mouth at the gate signals someone calling out a question. Mén also hints at the sound wèn.
问 — gate 门 (phonetic) + mouth 口 (semantic)
问 is a phono-semantic compound. The 口 (mouth) on the inside gives the meaning—using the mouth to ask—while 门 (gate/door) supplies the sound, close to 'mén/wèn'. The traditional form 問 places 口 inside 門, vividly suggesting speaking through a doorway to inquire.