ich frage mich
/ɪç ˈfʁaːɡə mɪç/word by word
The English phrase 'I wonder' is translated into German as ich frage mich.
You use ich frage mich to express that you are thinking about something and want to know the answer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ich frage mich literally translates to 'I ask myself'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The clause following ich frage mich is a subordinate clause, which means the conjugated verb moves to the end of the sentence. If you are expressing uncertainty about a yes/no question, you should use the conjunction ob (whether/if).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈfʁaːɡə mɪç/
Did you know?
- To express a deeper, more philosophical sense of wonder, Germans use the verb staunen rather than the reflexive fragen.
- While ich frage mich is common, Germans often use ich frage mich wohl, where wohl doesn't mean 'well' but signals a softened, speculative tone.
- If a German speaker uses the verb wondern as a loanword from English, it is considered 'Denglisch' and is not accepted in formal writing.
Examples in context
- Ich frage mich, was er will.I wonder what he wants.This sentence shows how to use ich frage mich to express wonder about what someone wants.Tatoeba #12420869 by Waldelfe, translation #6793976 by Hybrid
- Ich frage mich, wer Tom ist.I wonder who Tom is.This sentence shows how to use ich frage mich to express wonder about an identity.Tatoeba #12721275 by Waldelfe, translation #12123020 by CK
- Ich frage mich, wo sie wohnt.I wonder where she lives.This sentence shows how to use ich frage mich to express wonder about a location.Tatoeba #816490 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #310375 by CK
- Es wäre interessant zu wissen, wie diese neue Technologie funktioniert.It would be interesting to know how this new technology works.
- Weißt du, ich frage mich, ob sie jemals unsere Nachrichten gelesen hat.You know, I wonder if she ever read our messages.
- Ich frage mich, ob es morgen regnet.I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.
- 513 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are walking through a park on a cloudy day.
- HannahIch frage mich, ob es heute regnet.I wonder if it will rain today.
- LukasDas weiß ich leider auch nicht.Unfortunately, I don't know that either.
- HannahDer Himmel sieht sehr dunkel aus.The sky looks very dark.
- LukasVielleicht sollten wir nach Hause gehen.Maybe we should go home.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Frage, mich) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
