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拷问

拷問
kǎowèn
verb #9,417

Meanings

  1. 1 to interrogate (under torture)
  2. 2 to grill; to subject to intense questioning
  3. 3 to challenge (one's conscience, morals)

Examples

HSK 6
犯人被拷问了好几个小时。
Fànrén bèi kǎowèn le hǎojǐ ge xiǎoshí.
The prisoner was interrogated for several hours.
HSK 7-9
这部电影拷问了人性的底线。
Zhè bù diànyǐng kǎowèn le rénxìng de dǐxiàn.
This movie challenges the limits of human nature.
HSK 7-9
记者拷问官员关于贪腐的问题。
Jìzhě kǎowèn guānyuán guānyú tānfǔ de wèntí.
The reporter grilled the official about corruption.

Tips

history
拷 originally meant to beat or strike - 拷问 literally meant 'to beat and question,' referring to torture-based interrogation in ancient China. The modern figurative use (拷问灵魂, questioning one's soul) is quite common in writing.

Stroke Order

拷 kǎo
问 wèn