ask (redirected from be asking for trouble)

ask  (sk)

v. asked, ask·ing, asks

v.tr.

1. To put a question to: When we realized that we didn't know the answer, we asked the teacher.

2. To seek an answer to: ask a question.

3. To seek information about: asked directions.

4.

a. To make a request of: asked me for a loan.

b. To make a request for. Often used with an infinitive or clause: ask a favor of a friend; asked to go along on the trip; asked that he be allowed to stay out late.

5. To require or call for as a price or condition: asked ten dollars for the book.

6. To expect or demand: ask too much of a child.

7. To invite: asked them to dinner.

8. Archaic To publish, as marriage banns.

v.intr.

1. To make inquiry; seek information.

2. To make a request: asked for help.

Idioms:

ask for it/trouble Informal

To persist in an action despite the likelihood that it will result in difficulty or punishment.

ask out

To invite (someone) to a social engagement.

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[Middle English asken, from Old English csian, scian; see ais- in Indo-European roots.]

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asker n.

Synonyms: ask, question, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz
These verbs mean to seek information. Ask is the most neutral term: The coach asked me what was wrong.
Question implies careful and continuous asking: The prosecutor questioned the witness in great detail.
Inquire refers to a simple request for information: The committee will inquire how it can be of help.
Query usually suggests settling a doubt: The proofreader queried the spelling of the word.
Interrogate applies especially to official questioning: The detectives interrogated the suspects.
Examine refers particularly to close and detailed questioning to ascertain a person's knowledge or qualifications: Only lawyers who have been examined and certified by the bar association are admitted to practice.
Quiz denotes the informal examination of students: The teacher quizzed the pupils on the state capitals.

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ask [ɑːsk]

vb

1. (often foll by about) to put a question (to); request an answer (from) she asked (him) about God

2. (tr) to inquire about she asked him the time of the train she asked the way

3. (tr) to direct or put (a question)

4. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive; often foll by for) to make a request or demand she asked (him) for information they asked for a deposit

5. (tr) to demand or expect (esp in the phrases ask a lot of, ask too much of)

6. (tr) Also ask out ask over to request (a person) politely to come or go to a place; invite he asked her to the party

7. (tr) to need; require the job asks both time and patience

8. (tr) Archaic to proclaim (marriage banns)

n

a big or tough ask Austral and NZ informal a task which is difficult to fulfil See also ask after, ask for

[Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn]

asker  n

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Ask [ɑːsk]

n

(Myth & Legend / Norse Myth & Legend) Norse myth the first man, created by the gods from an ash tree

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	ask - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times" enquire, inquire communicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" ask - direct or put; seek an answer to; "ask a question" pry - be nosey; "Don't pry into my personal matters!" confer with, consult - get or ask advice from; "Consult your local broker"; "They had to consult before arriving at a decision" ask - address a question to and expect an answer from; "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother"
	2.	ask - make a request or demand for something to somebody; "She asked him for a loan" call for, request, bespeak, quest - express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" request - ask (a person) to do something; "She asked him to be here at noon"; "I requested that she type the entire manuscript" solicit - make a solicitation or petition for something desired; "She is too shy to solicit" ask in, invite - ask to enter; "We invited the neighbors in for a cup of coffee" ask over, ask round, invite - invite someone to one's house; "Can I invite you for dinner on Sunday night?" ask out, invite out, take out - make a date; "Has he asked you out yet?"
	3.	ask - direct or put; seek an answer to; "ask a question" ask, enquire, inquire - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times" give voice, phrase, word, articulate, formulate - put into words or an expression; "He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees"
	4.	ask - consider obligatory; request and expect; "We require our secretary to be on time"; "Aren't we asking too much of these children?"; "I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons" expect, require demand - request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager" call - require the presentation of for redemption before maturation; "Call a bond"
	5.	ask - address a question to and expect an answer from; "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother" ask, enquire, inquire - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times" query, question - pose a question interrogate, question - pose a series of questions to; "The suspect was questioned by the police"; "We questioned the survivor about the details of the explosion" address, turn to - speak to; "He addressed the crowd outside the window"
	6.	ask - require as useful, just, or proper; "It takes nerve to do what she did"; "success usually requires hard work"; "This job asks a lot of patience and skill"; "This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice"; "This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert"; "This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent" necessitate, need, require, call for, demand, postulate, involve, take exact, claim, take - take as an undesirable consequence of some event or state of affairs; "the accident claimed three lives"; "The hard work took its toll on her" govern - require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood; "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German" draw - require a specified depth for floating; "This boat draws 70 inches" cost - require to lose, suffer, or sacrifice; "This mistake cost him his job" cry for, cry out for - need badly or desperately; "This question cries out for an answer" compel - necessitate or exact; "the water shortage compels conservation"
	7.	ask - require or ask for as a price or condition; "He is asking $200 for the table"; "The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage" demand - request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager"

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ask

verb

1. inquire, question, quiz, query, interrogate 'How is Frank?' he asked.
inquire answer, reply, respond

2. put, propose, pose I wasn't the only one asking questions.

3. request, apply to, appeal to, plead with, demand, urge, sue, pray, beg, petition, crave, solicit, implore, enjoin, beseech, entreat, supplicate We had to ask him to leave.

4. invite, bid, summon She asked me back to her house.

Translations

ask [ɑːsk]

A. TRANSITIVE VERB

1. (= inquire) → preguntar
"how is Frank?" he asked → -¿cómo está Frank? -preguntó
to ask sb sth → preguntar algo a algn
I asked him his name/the time → le pregunté su nombre/la hora
to ask o.s. sth → preguntarse algo
did you ask him about the job? → ¿le has preguntado por el trabajo?; (in more detail) → ¿le has preguntado acerca del trabajo?
I've been meaning to ask you about that → llevo tiempo queriendo or hace tiempo que quiero preguntarte acerca de eso
ask her about her plans for Christmas → pregúntale qué planes tiene para la Navidad
ask me another! → ¡no tengo ni idea!
don't ask me! → ¡yo qué sé!, ¡qué sé yo!(esp LAm)
I ask you! (despairing) → ¿te lo puedes creer?
ask him if he has seen her → pregúntale si la ha visto
if you ask me, I think she's crazy → para mí que está loca
and where have you been, may I ask? → ¿y dónde has estado, si se puede saber?
to ask (sb) a question → hacer una pregunta(a algn)
I asked the teacher what to do next → le pregunté al profesor lo que tenía que hacer después
ask them what time the party is → pregúntales a qué hora es la fiesta
who asked you? → ¿quién te ha preguntado a ti?
ask her why she didn't come → pregúntale por qué no vino

2. (= request) → pedir
to ask sb a favour, ask a favour of sb → pedir un favor a algn
how much are they asking for the car? → ¿cuánto piden por el coche?
they are asking £80,000 for the house → piden 80.000 libras por la casa
that's asking the impossible → eso es pedir lo imposible
it's not a lot to ask → no es mucho pedir
that's asking a lot → eso es mucho pedir
what more can you ask? → ¿qué más se puede pedir?
to ask sth of sb he did everything asked of him → hizo todo lo que se le pidió
all he asked of us was that we tell people about his plight → sólo nos pidió que habláramos a la gente de la difícil situación en que se encontraba
to ask that sth be done → pedir que se haga algo
all I'm asking is that you keep an open mind → sólo te pido que or lo único que pido es que mantengas una actitud abierta
to ask to do sth: I asked to see the director → pedí ver al director
he asked to go on the picnic → preguntó si podía ir(con ellos)de picnic
to ask sb to do sth → pedir a algn que haga algo
we had to ask him to leave → tuvimos que decirle or pedirle que se marchara
that's asking too much → eso es pedir demasiado
I think she's asking too much → creo que está exigiendo demasiado
see also permission

3. (= invite) → invitar
have you been asked? → ¿te han invitado?
to ask sb to dinner → invitar a algn a cenar

B. INTRANSITIVE VERB

1. (= inquire) → preguntar
he was too shy to ask → le dio vergüenza preguntar
ask about our reduced rates for students → pregunta por or infórmate sobre nuestros descuentos para estudiantes
he was asking about the Vikings → preguntaba acerca de or sobre los vikingos
I asked about the possibility of staying on → pregunté acerca de or sobre la posibilidad de quedarme más tiempo, pregunté si era posible que me quedara más tiempo
he was asking about you → estaba preguntando por ti
"what's the matter?" - "don't ask" → -¿qué pasa? -más te vale no saberlo
now you're asking! (= what a difficult question) → ¡vaya con la preguntita!; (= who knows) → ¡quién sabe!; (= wouldn't we all like to know) → ¡eso quisiera saber yo!
I was only asking → era sólo una pregunta
"what has he gone and done now?" - "you may well ask!" → -¿qué es lo que ha hecho ahora? -¡buena pregunta!

2. (= make request) → pedir
if you need anything, just ask → si quieres algo no tienes más que pedirlo
the asking price → el precio que se pide/pedía
I offered £5,000 below the asking price → les ofrecí 5.000 libras menos de lo que pedían
it's yours for the asking → no tienes más que pedirlo y es tuyo

ask after VI + PREP [+ person] → preguntar por; [+ sb's health] → preguntar por, interesarse por
Jane was asking after you → Jane(me)preguntaba por ti

ask along VT + ADV → invitar
ask him along if you like → si quieres, dile que venga → invítale si quieres

ask around VI + ADV → preguntar por ahí
ask around to find out which are the best schools → pregunta por ahí y entérate de cuáles son las mejores escuelas

ask back VT + ADV (for second visit) → volver a invitar; (on reciprocal visit) → devolver la invitación a
she asked me back to her house after the show → me invitó a su casa después del espectáculo

ask for

A. VI + PREP

1. (= request) → pedir, solicitar(more frm)
he wrote asking for help → escribió pidiendo or (more frm)solicitando ayuda
to ask for sth back → pedir que se devuelva algo

2. (= look for) to ask for sb → preguntar por algn
there's someone asking for you at reception → hay alguien en recepción que pregunta por ti

3. (in idiomatic phrases)
he is all I could ask for in a son → tiene todo lo que podría pedirle a un hijo
he asked for it! → ¡él se lo ha buscado!
you're asking for a good smack! → ¡si sigues así, te vas a ganar una buena bofetada!
it's just asking for trouble → eso no es otra cosa que buscarse problemas

B. VT + PREP
to ask sb for sth → pedir algo a algn

ask in VT + ADV → invitar a entrar, invitar a pasar
to ask sb in for a drink → invitar a algn a que pase a tomar algo

ask out VT + ADV → invitar a salir
they never ask her out → no la invitan nunca a salir(con ellos)
he asked her out to dinner → la invitó(a salir)a cenar

ask round VT + ADV → invitar(a casa)
they've asked us round for drinks → nos han invitado(a su casa)a tomar unas copas

ASK

• Translate ask by preguntar only in contexts where information is being sought:

I'll ask him Voy a preguntárselo Ask her what she thinks Pregúntale qué le parece We asked everywhere Preguntamos en todas partes

• Use pedir when ask means "request" or "demand":

No one asked to see my passport Nadie me pidió el pasaporte We asked them to be here before five Les pedimos que estuviesen or estuvieran aquí antes de las cinco He was asked to explain his behaviour Le pidieron que explicara su comportamiento

! Pedir que is followed by the subjunctive.

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ask [ˈɑːsk]

vt

(= inquire) → demander
"Have you finished?" she asked → "Tu as fini?" a-t-elle demandé.
to ask sb sth → demander qch à qn
I asked him his name → Je lui ai demandé son nom.
He asked her how old she was → Il lui a demandé quel âge elle avait.
to ask sb the time → demander l'heure à qn
to ask sb about sth → poser des questions à qn au sujet de qch, poser des questions à qn sur qch
to ask a question → poser une question
to ask sb a question → poser une question à qn
to ask whether ... → demander si ...
to ask why ... → demander pourquoi ...
to ask if ... → demander si ...
to ask sb whether ... → demande à qn si ...
to ask sb why ... → demander à qn pourquoi ...
to ask sb if ... → demander à qn si ...
to ask sb's opinion → demander son opinion à qn
if you ask me → si vous voulez mon avis
to ask the price → demander le prix
don't ask me (= I don't know) → est-ce que je sais (moi)
I ask you > (indicating disapproval) → je vous demande un peu >

(= request) → demander
to ask sb sth → demander qch à qn
to ask sb to do sth → demander à qn de faire qch
She asked him to do the shopping → Elle lui a demandé de faire les courses.
to ask permission → demander la permission
to ask forgiveness → demander pardon
to ask sb's permission → demander la permission à qn
to ask sb's forgiveness → demander pardon à qn

(= invite) → inviter
Have you asked Matthew to the party? → Est-ce que tu as invité Matthew à la fête?

vi → demander
to ask about sth → se renseigner sur qch
I asked about train times to Leeds → Je me suis renseigné sur les horaires des trains pour Leeds.
to ask about the price → se renseigner sur le prix
to ask to do sth → demander à faire qch
may I ask → si ce n'est pas trop demander
everything is yours for the asking → tout est à votre disposition - il suffit de demander

ask after

vt fus → demander des nouvelles de

ask for

vt fus → demander
to ask for sth → demander qch
He asked for a cup of tea → Il a demandé une tasse de thé.
to ask for sb → demander qn
you're asking for trouble!, you're asking for it! → tu cherches des ennuis!
it's just asking for trouble, it's just asking for it → ce serait chercher des ennuis

ask out

vt sep
He asked her out → Il lui a demandé de sortir avec lui.
to ask sb out to dinner → inviter qn au restaurant

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ask

vt

(= inquire) → fragen; question → stellen; to ask somebody the way/the time/his opinion → jdn nach dem Weg/der Uhrzeit/seiner Meinung fragen; to ask if … → (nach)fragen, ob …; he asked me where I’d been → er fragte mich, wo ich gewesen sei or wäre (inf) → or bin (inf); if you ask me → wenn du mich fragst; don’t ask me! (inf) → frag mich nicht, was weiß ich! (inf); I ask you! (inf) → ich muss schon sagen!

(= invite) → einladen; (in dancing) → auffordern; to ask somebody for or to lunch → jdn zum (Mittag)essen einladen

(= request) → bitten (sb for sth jdn um etw); (= require, demand) → verlangen (sth of sb etw von jdm); to ask somebody to do something → jdn darum bitten, etw zu tun; are you asking me to believe that? → und das soll ich glauben?; all I ask is … → ich will ja nur …; you don’t ask for much, do you? (iro) → sonst noch was? (iro), → sonst or weiter nichts? (iro); could I ask your advice? → darf ich Sie um Rat bitten?; he asked to be excused → er bat, ihn zu entschuldigen, er entschuldigte sich; that’s asking the impossible → das ist ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit; he asks too much of me → er verlangt zu viel von mir; that’s asking too much → das ist zu viel verlangt

(Comm) price → verlangen, fordern

vi

(= inquire) → fragen; to ask about somebody/something → sich nach jdm/etw erkundigen; ask away! → frag nur!; I only asked → ich habe doch nur gefragt; and what does that mean, may I ask? → und was soll das bedeuten, wenn ich mal fragen darf?; well may you ask → das fragt man sich mit Recht

(= request) → bitten (for sth um etw); you just have to ask → du musst nur was sagen (inf), → du brauchst nur zu fragen; I’m not asking for sympathy → ich will kein Mitleid; there’s no harm in asking → Fragen kostet nichts!; it’s yours for the asking → du kannst es haben; you are asking for trouble → du willst wohl Ärger haben; if you do that you’re asking for trouble → wenn du das tust, dann kriegst du Ärger; that’s asking for trouble → das kann ja nicht gut gehen; you asked for it (inf) → du hast es ja so gewollt; he’s asking for it (inf) → er will es ja so, er will es ja nicht anders; to ask for Mr X → Herrn X verlangen; she was asking for you (Scot) → sie hat sich nach dir erkundigt; to ask for something back → etw wiederhaben wollen

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ask [ɑːsk]

1. vt

a. (inquire) to ask sb sth → domandare qc a qn, chiedere qc a qn
she asked him about his father → gli domandò (notizie) di suo padre
to ask sb a question → fare una domanda a qn
to ask sb the time → chiedere l'ora a qn
don't ask me! (fam) → non domandarlo a me!, a me lo chiedi?

b. (request) to ask sb for sth/sb to do sth → chiedere qc a qn/a qn di fare qc
to ask sb a favour → chiedere un piacere or un favore a qn
how much are they asking for it? → quanto chiedono per quello?
that's asking a lot! → questo è pretendere un po' troppo!

c. (invite) to ask sb to sth/to do sth → invitare qn a qc/a fare qc
to ask sb out → invitare qn fuori
to ask sb to dinner → invitare qn a cena

2. vi (inquire) → chiedere; (request) → richiedere
to ask about sth → informarsi su or di qc
you should ask at the information desk → dovresti rivolgerti all'ufficio informazioni
it's yours for the asking → non hai che da chiederlo

ask after vi + prep → chiedere di, domandare or chiedere (notizie) di, informarsi di

ask for vi + prep (person) → chiedere di, cercare; (help, information, money) → chiedere, domandare
I asked him for help → gli ho chiesto aiuto or di aiutarmi
it's just asking for trouble → è proprio (come) andarsele a cercare

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ask

v ask [aːsk]

1 to put a question He asked me what the time was; Ask the price of that scarf; Ask her where to go; Ask him about it; If you don't know, ask. vra يَسْأل питам zeptat se spørge fragen ρωτώ preguntar küsima پرسیدن kysyä demander לִשׁאוֹל पूछना pitati (meg)kérdez bertanya spyrja chiedere 尋ねる 물어보다 (pa)klausti []jautāt tanya vragen spørre pytać perguntar a întreba спрашивать opýtať sa vprašati pitati fråga ถาม sormak 詢問 питати پوچھنا hỏi 询问

2 to express a wish to someone for something I asked her to help me; I asked (him) for a day off; He rang and asked for you; Can I ask a favour of you? vra يَطْلُب запитвам požádat bede om bitten ζητώ pedir; preguntar por paluma خواستن؛ درخواست کردن pyytää demander לְבַקֵש मांगना tražiti kér minta biðja um chiedere 頼む 요구하다 (pa)prašyti lūgt meminta vragen be om prosić pedir a cere (по)просить požiadať prositi zamoliti be [], fråga efter ขอ rica etmek, istemek 要求 просити درخواست کرنا đề nghị 要求

3 to invite He asked her to his house for lunch. uitnooi يَدْعو каня pozvat invitere einladen προσκαλώ invitar kutsuma دعوت کردن kutsua inviter לְהַזְמִין निमंत्रण देना pozvati meghív mengundang bjóða invitare 招待する 초대하다 (pa)kviesti ielūgt; uzaicināt jemput vragen invitere, be zapraszać convidar a invita приглашать pozvať povabiti pozvati bjuda เชิญ davet etmek, çağırmak 邀請 запрошувати دعوت دینا mời 邀请

ask after

to make inquiries about the health etc of She asked after his father. vra na يَسأل عَن، يَسْتَفْسِر عَن питам за ptát se na zdraví někoho spørge efter; forhøre sig om sich erkundigen nach ρωτώ (να μάθω πληροφορίες ή νέα) preguntar por, interesarse por (järele) pärima دربارۀ سلامتی کسی پرسیدن tiedustella vointia demander des nouvelles de לִשְאוֹל לִשְלוֹם पूछताछ करना raspitivati se érdeklődik menanyakan inna eftir, spyrja frétta af e-m chiedere di ～の安否を尋ねる ...에게 문안하다 teirautis apjautāties bertanyakan tentang vragen naar spørre etter, forhøre seg om pytać o, dopytywać się o perguntar por a întreba de осведомляться;справляться popýtať sa (na zdravie ap.) zanimati se za pitati za nekoga fråga om, höra sig för om ถามถึง hâl hatır sormak 問起某人的(健康等)狀況 питати про чиєсь здоров'я کے بارے میں پوچھنا hỏi thăm 问候

ask for

1 to express a wish to see or speak to (someone) When he telephoned he asked for you; He is very ill and keeps asking for his daughter. vra na يَطْلُب търся ptát se po někom spørge efter; bede om fragen nach ζητώ (να δω ή να μιλήσω με κπ.) preguntar por, reclamar küsima خواستن؛ طلب کردن kysyä henkilöä demander, réclamer לְבָקֵש निवेदन करना zatražiti keres minta biðja um, spyrja eftir chiedere di 会いたいという ...에게 면회를 요청하다 (pa)kviesti, (pa)prašyti palūgt; pieprasīt bertanyakan vragen naar be om, spørre etter prosić pedir a întreba (de); a cere спрашивать pýtať sa na (koho) vprašati po tražiti (nekoga) fråga efter ถามถึง (biri) ile konuşmak, istemek …要求與某人見面或說話 просити про کے بارے میں پوچھنا xin gặp ai 寻找

2 to behave as if inviting (something unpleasant) Going for a swim when you have a cold is just as asking for trouble. vra, soek يَجُرُّ المَتاعِب молба říkat si o bede om; opsøge problemer herausfordern πάω γυρεύοντας buscar, buscársela otsima دنبال چیزی بودن etsiä hankaluuksia chercher לְחָפֵשׂ दावत देना tražiti keresi a bajt mencari-cari leita eftir, biðja um cercare, andare in cerca di 自らまねく 무리한 부탁을 하다 prisišaukti sagādāt sev nepatikšanas mengundang vragen om be om, oppsøke (problemer) prosić się (o) atrair a o căuta (cu lu­mâ­narea) напрашиваться privolať si (čo) naravnost iskati, izzivati prizvati be om เชิญ (สิ่งที่ไม่เป็นที่น่าพอใจ) belâ aramak, aranmak, kaşınmak 自討(不愉快的後果) лізти на рожен; лізти в пухир خواہ مخواہ مصیبت مول لینا chuốc lấy 自讨苦吃

for the asking

you may have (something) simply by asking for it; This table is yours for the asking. as jy dit wil hê بِناء عَلى الطَّلَب питане stačí říct bare du beder (om) zu haben αρκεί να (το) ζητήσεις con sólo pedirlo ilma pikemata بدست آوردن چیزی در صورت خواستن آن saada pyydettäessä il n'y a qu'à le demander לְבַּקָשָתך मांग treba samo zatražiti i dobit ćeš! csak kérni kell cuma-cuma, tinggal minta þarf ekki nema spyrja (basta chiedere) くれとさえ言えば 원한다면 vos paprašius, jei paprašysit ja vēlaties; ja tas interesē permintaan je hebt er maar om te vragen bare du ber om (noe) za darmo a pedido dacă vrei стоит только спросить stačí povedať na migljaj; če samo hočeš samo zatražiti utan vidare, bara genom att be om det (ง่ายสำหรับคุณ) ถ้าคุณขอ (sadece) istemek yeter, yeter ki istensin 詢問索取 варто тільки попросити کے متعلق پوچھنا nếu yêu cầu 索取

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ask → يَسْأل zeptat (se) spørge fragen ρωτώ preguntar kysyä demander pitati chiedere 尋ねる 묻다 vragen spørre zapytać perguntar спрашивать fråga ถาม sormak hỏi 询问