問い直す

• Reading: といなおす
• Romaji: toinaosu
• Kanji breakdown: 問 (toi/mon) — question, inquire; 直 (nao/choku) — straight, redo, correct
• Pronunciation: /to.i.na.o.sɯ/

Meaning

To reexamine; to ask again; to reconsider from the ground up.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb from 問い (question) + 直す (naosu — to redo, to correct). 問い直す implies returning to a question that was previously asked or settled and examining it anew, often because circumstances have changed or the original answer was inadequate. It is frequently used in academic and philosophical discourse where foundational assumptions are re-evaluated.

Examples

1. 震災を経験して、自分にとって本当に大切なものは何かを問い直した。 After experiencing the earthquake disaster, I reexamined what truly mattered to me.
2. 現代の研究者たちは、近代史の解釈を根本から問い直しつつある。 Contemporary researchers are in the process of fundamentally reexamining the interpretation of modern history.
3. 上司の言葉にひっかかりを感じ、自分のやり方を問い直してみた。 Something in my supervisor's words nagged at me, so I tried reconsidering my own approach.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, self-reflection, academic, journalism

Tone: reflective

Origin & History

問い (question) + 直す (naosu — to redo, from 直 meaning straight, correct). 直す as a compound suffix means to redo or retry an action, giving 問い直す the meaning of questioning again or afresh.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated