French Conversation · Level 59
74 words
French word
questionner
Pronunciation
IPA/kɛstjone/
Meaning
- verbquestion
Example
Le professeur questionne l'étudiant.
The teacher questions the student.
More examples
La journaliste a questionné le ministre sur la décision.
The journalist questioned the minister about the decision.
Core concept
A person directing successive questions at someone to draw out precise information.
Common phrases
questionner quelqu'un
question someone
se faire questionner
be questioned
Similar words
demander: Request that someone do something, or ask for something.
poser: Put a question into words and direct it at someone.
interroger: Ask questions in an interview or exam and seek answers.
se renseigner: Seek needed information from a person or institution.
Definition in French
Poser à quelqu'un une suite de questions pour obtenir des renseignements ou des précisions.
Word origin
French questionner comes through Old French from Latin quaestionare, a verb related to quaestio, meaning an inquiry or question.
Usage tips
- Questionner takes the person questioned as a direct object, as in questionner l'étudiant, without a preposition.
Other meanings
- interrogateverb
Opposites
- répondreanswerverb
Related words
- questionnairequestionnairenoun
- questionnementquestioningnoun