“〜toikakeru・toinaosu”: To Pose a Question / Re-examine (compound verbs) [JLPT N1]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「意味を観客に問いかける」「価値観を問い直す」 — to pose a searching question, or to re-examine (reflective compounds of 問う).
「作品は、生きる意味を問いかける」 — posing a question to us, re-examining
A good work doesn't just give answers; it “poses a deep question to the reader,” or prompts us to “re-examine notions we take for granted” — 「この小説は、幸福とは何かを問いかけてくる (this novel poses to us the question of what happiness is).」 「〜問いかける／〜問い直す」 = (to ～) pose a question／re-question, re-examine. This guide clarifies this pair of 「問う」 compound verbs, the suffixes 「かける (directed outward)」 and 「直す (re-),」 separating them from 「問い詰める (press with questions).」
Core: 問いかける = pose a question; 問い直す = re-examine
This is a pair formed from the verb 「問う (to ask)」 plus compound-verb suffixes:
①「問いかける（といかける）」 = (to ～) pose a question, put a question forth (the action directed at the other／reader／oneself):
- 教師は生徒に、静かに問いかけた (the teacher quietly posed a question to the students).
- この映画は、戦争の意味を私たちに問いかけている (this film poses to us the question of war's meaning).
②「問い直す（といなおす）」 = re-question, re-examine, reflect (ask again, rethink):
- 当たり前だと思っていた前提を、もう一度問い直す (re-examine a premise one took for granted).
- 事件を機に、自らの生き方を問い直した (used the incident to re-examine one's way of life).
Feel: this is a compound verb of 「問う」: 「〜かける」 means “issue (an action) directed at the other” → 問いかける = pose a question to ～; 「〜直す」 means “re-” → 問い直す = re-question／re-examine (a critical rethink, reflection). 「問いかける」 often refers to a work, event “posing a deep question to us” (prompting thought); 「問い直す」 often to “re-examining existing notions, premises.” In English: 問いかける = pose a question, put forth; 問い直す = re-question, re-examine, reflect.
Attachment & forms
| Compound verb | Suffix's meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 問いかける | かける = issued outward at the other | 意味を問いかける （poses the question of what it means） |
| 問い直す | 直す = do anew | 前提を問い直す |
| 問い詰める | 詰める = press to the end | 責任を問い詰める （presses them on their responsibility） |
Examples in use
- 彼は自分自身に、「これでいいのか」と問いかけた。(He posed to himself: “Is this all right?”)
- 名作は、時代を超えて読者に問いかけ続ける。(A masterpiece keeps posing questions to readers across the ages.)
- 失敗を通じて、仕事の意義を問い直すきっかけを得た。(Through failure, I gained an occasion to re-examine the meaning of work.)
- 私たちは今、民主主義のあり方を問い直す必要がある。(We now need to re-examine the form of democracy.)
- 一枚の写真が、平和の尊さを静かに問いかけている。(A single photo quietly poses the preciousness of peace.)
⚠️ Where learners slip up
① 「問いかける」 isn't just ‘ask a question'; it often means (a work／event) posing a deep question to us, prompting thought. This is 「問いかける」's feel-point. Its literal is “pose a question to ～,” but it's not just plainly asking a question. It's often for a work, event, image “posing a deep question to us (readers／viewers),” provoking thought, moving the heart: この映画は、生きる意味を問いかける (this film poses to us the question of life's meaning — not literally asking, but prompting deep thought through the work), 彼の死は、社会に重い問いを問いかけた (his death posed a weighty question to society). So 「問いかける」 often carries the feel of “provoking deep thought, moving, thought-provoking.” Test: to say “(a work／event) poses a deep question to us, prompts thought” → 問いかける (not just the literal “ask a question”).
② 「問い直す」 = re-examine, reflect (a critical rethink), not just ‘ask again.' This is 「問い直す」's feel-point. Its literal is “re-ask,” but it's not just plainly “asking the same question again.” It often means “re-examining, questioning, reflecting on (taken-for-granted) existing notions, premises, practices,” a critical rethink: 常識を問い直す (re-examine common sense — questioning what was taken for granted), 自らの価値観を問い直す (re-examine one's own values — reflect). It's not “ask repeatedly,” but “with criticism, reflection, re-question, re-examine.” Test: to say “re-examine, question, reflect on (existing notions／premises)” → 問い直す (a critical rethink).
③ Compound-verb suffixes: 「かける」 = issued outward at the other; 「直す」 = do anew. The key to understanding this pair is the compound-verb suffix. 「〜かける」 means “issue (an action) outward at the other, begin to ～ toward them”: 話しかける (speak to ～), 呼びかける (call out to ～), 笑いかける (smile at ～) — so 問いかける = pose a question to ～ (directed at the other). 「〜直す」 means “re-, ～ again”: やり直す (redo), 見直す (re-examine), 考え直す (reconsider) — so 問い直す = re-question, re-ask. Test: 「〜かける」 = issued outward at the other (問いかける = pose a question to ～); 「〜直す」 = do anew (問い直す = re-question). Grasping these two high-frequency suffixes lets you understand a large batch of compound verbs.
④ Separate it from 「問い詰める」 — 問いかける poses a question, 問い詰める presses to the end. Don't mix these 「問い ＋」 compound verbs. 「問いかける」 = (to ～) pose a question (issued outward, more neutral／thought-provoking): 優しく問いかける (gently pose a question). 「問い直す」 = re-question, re-examine (do anew, reflect): 前提を問い直す (re-examine a premise). 「問い詰める」 = press with questions, interrogate (詰める = press to the end, with pressure, pursuit): 責任を問い詰める (pursue responsibility, press), 嘘を問い詰める (press out a lie). It carries the feel of pressing, pursuing to the end. Difference: 問いかける = pose a question (issue); 問い直す = re-question (anew); 問い詰める = press with questions to the end (pressure, pursuit). Test: to pose a question (prompting thought) → 問いかける; to re-examine → 問い直す; to press, pursue to the end → 問い詰める.
🔄 Nuance & comparison: 問いかける／問い直す／問い詰める／問い合わせる
| Compound verb | Meaning | Suffix feel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 問いかける | (to ～) pose a question, put forth | かける = issued outward | 意味を問いかける （poses the question of what it means） |
| 問い直す | re-question, re-examine, reflect | 直す = do anew | 前提を問い直す |
| 問い詰める | press with questions, interrogate | 詰める = press to the end | 責任を問い詰める （presses them on their responsibility） |
| 問い合わせる | inquire, make an inquiry | 合わせる = check against | 在庫を問い合わせる （enquires about stock） |
💡 Learning tip
「問いかける／問い直す」 is a pair of 「問う」 compound verbs — three points: ①「問いかける」 = (to ～) pose a question, put forth (かける = issued outward at the other; often a work／event posing a deep question to us, prompting thought, not just the literal “ask a question”); ②「問い直す」 = re-question, re-examine, reflect (直す = do anew; a critical rethink, not just “ask again”); ③ grasping the suffixes 「かける (issued outward)／直す (anew)」 lets you understand a large batch of compound verbs (話しかける, やり直す…). This pair has a real intellectual, humanistic flavor — 「作品が問いかける」「あり方を問い直す」, common in criticism, book reviews, editorials, with the depth of “prompting deep thought, reflection.” To refinedly say “(a work) poses a question,” “re-examine,” these two are spot-on; to say “press, pursue,” use 「問い詰める.」
❓ Common questions
Q: What's the difference between 「問いかける」 and 「問う」? Why add 「かける」?
The difference is the “directed outward at the other” feel the suffix 「かける」 brings. 「問う（とう）」 = ask, inquire, pursue: it's the basic “ask,” more neutral, written: 責任を問う (pursue responsibility), 道を問う (ask the way), 是非を問う (question the rights and wrongs). 「問いかける」 = (to ～) pose a question, put forth (= 問う ＋ かける): with the suffix 「かける」 added, it gains the feel of “issuing (actively) outward at the other” — 「かける」 means “an action directed at the other, beginning to do toward them” (話しかける = speak to ～, 呼びかける = call out to ～). So 問いかける = “(actively) put a question forth to the other,” often with the feel of “posing a (deep) question to readers／viewers／oneself”: 作品が読者に問いかける (a work poses a question to readers — issued at readers), 自分に問いかける (pose a question to oneself). It has, beyond a plain 「問う,」 a dynamic “directed at some target, actively put forth” and a thought-provoking depth. Test: to plainly “ask, pursue” → 問う; to “(actively) pose a question to some target (often prompting thought)” → 問いかける. So “pose a deep question to us” uses 「問いかける」 (directed, with depth), a plain “pursue responsibility” uses 「問う.」
Q: What's the difference between 「問い直す」 and 「問い詰める」? Both 「問う」 compound verbs?
The difference is the different feels the suffixes 「直す (anew)」 vs 「詰める (press to the end)」 bring. 「問い直す」 = re-question, re-examine, reflect (= 問う ＋ 直す): the suffix 「直す」 means “re-, do again” (やり直す = redo, 見直す = re-examine). So 問い直す = “re-question, re-examine” — often “re-questioning, reflecting on (taken-for-granted) notions, premises,” a critical rethink, reflection: 常識を問い直す (re-examine common sense), 生き方を問い直す (re-examine one's way of life — reflect). It's going back to re-question, re-examine (neutral-leaning-reflective). 「問い詰める」 = press with questions, interrogate (= 問う ＋ 詰める): the suffix 「詰める」 means “press to the end, corner” (追い詰める = drive into a corner). So 問い詰める = “press with questions, interrogate” — with the feel of pressure, pursuit, forcing the other to answer: 責任を問い詰める (pursue responsibility, press), 犯人を問い詰める (interrogate a suspect). It carries strong pressure, pursuit (mostly negative, confrontational scenes). Difference: 「問い直す」 = re-examine, reflect (going back to re-question, neutral-reflective); 「問い詰める」 = interrogate to the end (pressure, pursuit, confrontational). Test: to say “re-examine, reflect on (existing notions)” → 問い直す; to say “press, pursue to the end (make the other confess／be responsible)” → 問い詰める. So “re-examine one's own values” (reflection) uses 「問い直す,」 “interrogate a suspect” (pursuit) uses 「問い詰める.」
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「この映画は、生きる意味を観客に___。」(poses a question)
(A) 問いかける (B) 問い詰める (C) 問い合わせる (D) 問われる
Q2. 「問い直す」の意味は?
(A) To ask again / re-examine
(B) Asking for the first time
(C) Answering
(D) Refusing to answer
Q3. 「自分に問いかける」の意味は?
(A) Asking oneself / searching one's heart
(B) Asking others
(C) Not asking
(D) Answering oneself
Q4. 「問いかける」と「尋ねる」の違いは?
(A) 問いかける＝posing a (profound) question / asking oneself; 尋ねる＝ordinary inquiry
(B) The two are exactly the same
(C) 問いかける＝ordinary inquiry
(D) 尋ねる＝posing a profound question
Q5. 用法が自然なのは?
(A) 価値観を問い直す。 (B) 価値観に問い直す(を が自然)。
(C) 問いかけるを答える。 (D) 問い直すだ高い。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) 問いかける ── Posing a question to the audience.
2. (A) ── To ask again / re-examine.
3. (A) ── Asking oneself.
4. (A) ── 問いかける poses a profound question; 尋ねる is ordinary inquiry.
5. (A) ── 「価値観を問い直す」is correct.