The idea
Present tense: ich frage, du fragst, er/sie/es fragt, wir fragen, ihr fragt, sie/Sie fragen. Learn the sentence pattern jemanden nach etwas fragen together with the principal parts.
| Form | Deutsch |
|---|---|
| ich | frage |
| du | fragst |
| er/sie/es | fragt |
| wir | fragen |
| ihr | fragt |
| sie/Sie | fragen |
| Präteritum | fragte |
| Perfekt | hat gefragt |
| Imperativ (du) | Frag! |
| Muster | jemanden nach etwas fragen |
Meaning and sentence pattern
The person asked is accusative. Nach plus dative introduces the information sought; a question can also follow with ob or a question word.
Learn this pattern as a unit: jemanden nach etwas fragen. The six situations below show the verb with concrete objects, complements or circumstances.
Form check
Ich frage dem Techniker.Ich frage den Techniker.Fragen takes the person in the accusative, unlike antworten.
Examples
- Ich frage den Techniker nach der Seriennummer.I ask the technician for the serial number.
- Du fragst am besten direkt an der Information.It is best for you to ask directly at the information desk.
- Lina fragt, ob der Raum noch frei ist.Lina asks whether the room is still available.
- Der Fahrer fragte uns nach dem Ziel.The driver asked us for the destination.
- Wir haben nach einer ruhigeren Alternative gefragt.We asked about a quieter alternative.
- Frag die Kollegin, wo die Ersatzteile liegen.Ask the colleague where the spare parts are.
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Watch out
Fragen takes the person in the accusative, unlike antworten.
Try it yourself
du ___ (fragen, Präsens)
Show answer or example answer
fragst
fragst: this is the second-person singular present form.
er/sie ___ (fragen, Präteritum)
Show answer or example answer
fragte
fragte: this is the third-person singular simple past.
Perfekt: er/sie hat ___
Show answer or example answer
gefragt
gefragt: in this use the perfect tense is hat gefragt.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
du ___ (fragen, Präsens)
er/sie ___ (fragen, Präteritum)
Perfekt: er/sie hat ___
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Read the six situations aloud, compare the verb forms, and complete the present, past and participle checks. Then write a new sentence that follows jemanden nach etwas fragen.