尋問・訊問|じんもんjinmon[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
尋問尋問 is the more common written form for “questioning,” “interrogation,” or “examination of a witness”; for beginners, this is the form to choose.
訊問訊問 is a less common written variant of 尋問. Beginners should use 尋問 instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbquestioning; interrogation; examination (of a witness)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 尋問する（じんもんする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 尋問します（じんもんします） |
| Negative (nai) | 尋問しない（じんもんしない） |
| polite (masen) | 尋問しません（じんもんしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 尋問せず・尋問せぬ（じんもんせず・じんもんせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 尋問した（じんもんした） |
| polite (mashita) | 尋問しました（じんもんしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 尋問しなかった（じんもんしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 尋問しませんでした（じんもんしませんでした） |
| Te form | 尋問して（じんもんして） |
| Potential | 尋問できる（じんもんできる） |
| Passive | 尋問される（じんもんされる） |
| Causative | 尋問させる（じんもんさせる） |
| Causative passive | 尋問させられる（じんもんさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 尋問すれば（じんもんすれば） |
| tara | 尋問したら（じんもんしたら） |
| Volitional | 尋問しよう（じんもんしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 尋問しましょう（じんもんしましょう） |
| Imperative | 尋問しろ（じんもんしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym査問さもんNeutralWritten word for an inquiry held within an organization, as in 「査問委員会」; it leans toward holding someone accountable.
- Synonym審問しんもんFormalFormal word for detailed questioning and examination, including a court questioning parties at trial; 「尋問」 centers on witnesses and suspects.
- Synonym鞠問きくもんFormalFormal term for interrogating someone over a crime; an old legal word rarely seen in modern usage.
- RelatedただすNeutralWritten verb for establishing the truth or what is right, as in 「真相を糺す」; it carries a nuance of pursuing the matter.
- Related質疑しつぎNeutralWritten word for raising questions, as in 「質疑応答」; typical of meetings and debates.
- Related問い詰めるといつめるNeutralVerb for grilling someone hard, as in 「犯人を問い詰める」; it suggests pressing without letup.
- Related審尋しんじんFormalFormal term for a court's questioning held in private; chiefly a term of civil procedure.
- Related問いただすといただすNeutralEveryday verb for pressing someone with questions, as in 「理由を問いただす」.
- RelatedただすNeutralWritten verb for asking in order to confirm something, as in 「真意を質す」; it leans toward checking facts.
Use 「尋問」 for police or court interrogation to establish facts, as in 「証人尋問」 or 「尋問を受ける」. For internal accountability inquiries pick 「査問」; for everyday pressing questions 「問いただす」; for questions at meetings 「質疑」. 「鞠問」, 「審尋」 and 「審問」 are formal legal terms, with 「鞠問」 archaic.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
