How to say "questioning" in Japanese

• 尋問じんもんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers questioning as formal interrogation: the police questioning a suspect, or the examination of a witness in court. The nuance is official, systematic questioning by an authority.
  警察けいさつは彼かれを詳くわしく尋問じんもんした。↗

  The police questioned him closely.
• 聴取ちょうしゅCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbQuestioning in the sense of hearing someone out and taking their statement: the questioner listens to and records a person's account, opinion or explanation, as when police hear a suspect's story.
• 追及ついきゅうJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbQuestioning as pressing or hounding: pursuing someone over suspected guilt and demanding answers or accountability. It is not neutral questioning but relentless pressing of the person responsible.
  追及ついきゅうされて、つい、見え透みえすいた嘘うそをついてしまった。↗

  I was pressed by their questioning and slipped into telling an obvious lie.

Use 尋問 for formal interrogation or examining a witness, 聴取 for hearing out someone's statement such as a suspect's account, and 追及 for pressing or hounding someone over guilt or responsibility.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 尋問じんもんquestioning
• 聴取ちょうしゅhearing (of a statement, opinion, explanation, etc.)
• 追及ついきゅうinvestigation (e.g. into someone's guilt)
• 発問はつもんasking or putting a question
• 疑問視ぎもんしdoubting
• 物問いたげものといたげinquisitive (e.g. look)
• 事情聴取じじょうちょうしゅinquiry
• 詮議せんぎinvestigation (into a suspect)