诘 (jié) - to interrogate & to question closely

诘Tone 2

jié ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 讠

健傑

诘 · jié

to interrogate;

to question closely;

to investigate;

to censure;

also used in classical Chinese for 'morning'.

to interrogateto question closelyto investigate

Usage highlights

interrogatereprimandinvestigate thoroughlymorningcrossinterrogation

Synonyms

  • 问— to ask
  • 询— to inquire
  • 查— to investigate

Antonyms

  • 答— to answer
  • 应— to respond

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The police interrogated the suspect (诘问).
  • He was repeatedly questioned about the incident (被反复诘问).
  • This text requires careful investigation (需要仔细诘究).

Collocations

  • interrogate(诘问)
  • reprimand(诘责)
  • investigate thoroughly(诘究)
  • morning(诘旦 - classical)
  • cross-examination(盘诘)
  • interrogation(诘询)

Idioms

  • To question closely and reprimand severely(诘责严苛)
  • Morning and evening(诘朝 - classical)
  • To investigate the root cause(诘究本源)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'morning' in classical Chinese, derived from 吉 (auspicious) + 言 (speech), implying auspicious morning speech.
  • Later evolved to mean 'to question' as morning was when officials held audiences and conducted inquiries.
  • Used in legal and investigative contexts in modern Chinese.

FAQ