se demander
The English phrase 'wondering' can be expressed in French using the verb se demander.
se demander is used when you are full of questioning and consideration regarding something. If you want to say you are wondering about a specific possibility, you will typically follow the phrase with si (if/whether), such as in se demander si (to wonder if). If you want to express the idea of racking one's brain in an informal way, you can use the expression se triturer l'esprit.
Meaning: full of questioning and consideration (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally composed of the reflexive pronoun se (oneself) and demander (to ask), meaning 'to ask oneself'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'I am wondering', use the first-person singular present indicative je me demande. To say 'you are wondering' (informal), use tu te demandes. To say 'he/she is wondering', use il/elle se demande.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using s'étonner to mean 'to wonder' or 'to question'. s'étonner actually means 'to be surprised'. Use se demander instead.
Did you know?
- If you want to express a more intense, almost painful version of wondering, you can use the idiom se triturer l'esprit, which literally translates to 'to twist or mangle one's mind'.
- The English word 'demand' and the French word demander share the same Latin ancestor, demandāre, but their meanings have drifted apart. While the French verb means 'to ask', the English 'demand' has become much more forceful and insistent.
- While 'wondering' in English can sometimes imply a sense of awe or amazement, using se demander in French strictly limits the meaning to mental inquiry and questioning.
Examples in context
- Je m'interroge sur cette questionI wonder about this question.
- Je me demande pourquoi cela s'est produitI wonder why that happened.
- Je me pose des questions sur l'heure de début de l'événementI'm wondering what time the event starts.
- Je me triture l'esprit depuis des heures pour trouver une solutionI've been racking my brain for hours to find a solution.
- Je suis curieux de voir comment cela va se passerI'm curious to see how things will unfold.
- Je m'interroge sur l'impact du changement climatique sur notre société.I wonder about the impact of climate change on our society.
- Le professeur se demande comment améliorer les résultats des élèves.The teacher wonders how to improve students' outcomes.
- Je me triture l'esprit pour trouver le cadeau parfait pour mon ami.I'm racking my brain to find the perfect gift for my friend.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demander, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
