ask

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ask

(ăsk)
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.
n. pl. asks Informal
1. The act of making a request: "He was contacted by the mayor's fund-raiser ... a day after the mayor made the ask" (Jennifer Fermino).
2. Something that is requested: "Being funny on demand is a big ask" (Anne Curzan).
Phrasal Verb:
ask out
To invite (someone) to a social engagement.
Idiom:
ask for it (or trouble) Informal
To persist in an action despite the likelihood that it will result in difficulty or punishment.

[Middle English asken, from Old English ācsian, āscian; see ais- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ask′er n.
Synonyms: ask, question, inquire, query, interrogate, examine, quiz
These verbs mean to seek to gain or elicit information from another: Ask is the most neutral term: We asked the police officer for directions. The coach asked me what was wrong.
Question implies careful or methodical asking: The prosecutor questioned the witness on several key points.
Inquire often suggests a polite or formal request: We inquired whether the hotel had laundry service. The chairman inquired how best to secure the information.
Query usually suggests settling a doubt: The proofreader queried the author on the spelling of a name.
Interrogate applies especially to official and often aggressive questioning: The detectives interrogated the suspects for several hours.
Examine refers particularly to close and detailed questioning to ascertain a person's knowledge or qualifications: The committee examined each candidate separately.
Quiz denotes the informal examination of students: The teacher quizzed the pupils on the multiplication table.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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. (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 or 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 ask a tough ask informal Brit and Austral and NZ a task which is difficult to fulfil
[Old English āscian; related to Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn]
ˈasker n

Ask

(ɑːsk)
n
(Norse Myth & Legend) Norse myth the first man, created by the gods from an ash tree
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ask

(æsk, ɑsk)

v. asked, ask•ing. v.t.
1. to put a question to; inquire of: I asked her but she didn't answer.
2. to request information about: to ask the way.
3. to put into words so as to gain information, attention, etc.; utter; pose: to ask the right questions.
4. to request: to ask a favor.
5. to solicit from; request of: Could I ask you a favor?
6. to demand; expect: What price are they asking?
7. to set a price of: to ask $40 for the hat.
8. to call for; need: This experiment asks patience.
9. to invite: to ask guests to dinner.
v.i.
10. to make inquiry; inquire: ask after a person.
11. to request or petition (usu. fol. by for): to ask for leniency.
Idioms:
ask for it, to invite problems by persisting in risky or annoying behavior. Also, ask for trouble.
[before 900; Middle English asken,axen, Old English āscian, āxian, c. Old Frisian āskia, Old Saxon ēscon, Old High German eiscōn; akin to Skt icchati (he) seeks]
ask′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

ask

- A request or question.
See also related terms for request.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

ask

1. 'ask'

You say that someone asks a question.

The police officer asked me a lot of questions.

Be Careful!
Don't say that someone 'says a question'.

2. reporting questions

When you report a yes/no-question, you usually use ask with an if-clause.

She asked him if he spoke French.
Someone asked me if the work was going well.

You can also use a clause beginning with 'whether'.

I asked Brian whether he agreed.

When you report a wh-question, you usually use ask with a wh-clause.

I asked him what he wanted.
He asked me where I was going.

Be Careful!
In the wh-clause, the subject and the verb do not change places. Don't say, for example, 'He asked me when was the train leaving'. You say 'He asked me when the train was leaving'.

You can say that someone asks someone else their name or their age.

He asked me my name.

You can say that someone asks someone else's opinion.

I was asked my opinion about the new car.

You don't need to say who a question is addressed to if this is clear from the context.

A young man asked if we were students.
I asked whether they liked the film.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'to' when mentioning who a question is addressed to. Don't say, for example, 'He asked to me my name'.

3. direct reporting

You can use ask when reporting directly what someone says.

'How many languages can you speak?' he asked.
'Have you met him?' I asked.
4. reporting requests

When someone says that they want to be given something, you report this using ask and for. For example, if a man says to a waiter 'Can I have a glass of water?', you report this as 'He asked for a glass of water' or 'He asked the waiter for a glass of water'.

We asked for the bill.

When someone says that they want to speak to another person on the telephone, you say that they ask for that person.

He rang the office and asked for Cynthia.

When someone tells another person that they want them to do something, you report this using ask and either a to-infinitive clause or an if-clause.

He asked her to marry him.
I asked him if he could help.

inquire

enquireask
1. 'inquire' and 'enquire'

If you inquire or enquire about something, you ask for information about it. There is no difference in meaning between these words. Inquire is more common, especially in American English.

We inquired about the precise circumstances surrounding the arrest.
I enquired about the scenery and Beaumont told me it was being built in a carpenter's shop in Waterloo.

You can use inquire or enquire with a 'wh'-clause.

She inquired how Ibrahim was getting on.
I enquired what kind of aircraft he had commanded before returning home.

In writing, inquire and enquire are sometimes used in quote structures.

'Anything you need?' inquired the girl.
'Who compiles these reports?' Philip enquired.

Be Careful!
You do not use these verbs with a direct object. You do not say, for example, 'He inquired her if she was well'.

2. 'ask'

Inquire and enquire are fairly formal words. In conversation, people usually use ask. Ask can be used with or without a direct object.

She asked about his work.
I asked him what he wanted.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ask


Past participle: asked
Gerund: asking

Imperative
ask
ask
Present
I ask
you ask
he/she/it asks
we ask
you ask
they ask
Preterite
I asked
you asked
he/she/it asked
we asked
you asked
they asked
Present Continuous
I am asking
you are asking
he/she/it is asking
we are asking
you are asking
they are asking
Present Perfect
I have asked
you have asked
he/she/it has asked
we have asked
you have asked
they have asked
Past Continuous
I was asking
you were asking
he/she/it was asking
we were asking
you were asking
they were asking
Past Perfect
I had asked
you had asked
he/she/it had asked
we had asked
you had asked
they had asked
Future
I will ask
you will ask
he/she/it will ask
we will ask
you will ask
they will ask
Future Perfect
I will have asked
you will have asked
he/she/it will have asked
we will have asked
you will have asked
they will have asked
Future Continuous
I will be asking
you will be asking
he/she/it will be asking
we will be asking
you will be asking
they will be asking
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been asking
you have been asking
he/she/it has been asking
we have been asking
you have been asking
they have been asking
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been asking
you will have been asking
he/she/it will have been asking
we will have been asking
you will have been asking
they will have been asking
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been asking
you had been asking
he/she/it had been asking
we had been asking
you had been asking
they had been asking
Conditional
I would ask
you would ask
he/she/it would ask
we would ask
you would ask
they would ask
Past Conditional
I would have asked
you would have asked
he/she/it would have asked
we would have asked
you would have asked
they would have asked
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.ask - inquire aboutask - inquire about; "I asked about their special today"; "He had to ask directions several times"
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 somebodyask - 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 putask - 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"
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 fromask - 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"
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"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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.
4. invite, bid, summon She asked me back to her house.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ask

verb
1. To put a question to (someone):
2. To seek an answer to (a question):
3. To endeavor to obtain (something) by expressing one's needs or desires.Also used with for:
4. To have as a need or prerequisite:
5. To request that someone take part in or be present at a particular occasion:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَدْعويَسْأليَسْأَلُيَطْلُب
моляпитам
zeptat sepožádatpozvatžádat
spørgebedebede ominvitere
demandipeti
kysyäpyytää
pitatimoliti
kérkérdez
mintatanya
spyrjabiîja umbjóîa
尋ねる
묻다
precariquaerererogare
jei paprašysitklaustikviestipaklaustipakviesti
ielūgtjautātlūgtuzaicināt
cereîntrebainvitaruga
prositivprašatipovabiti
fråga
ถาม
پُوچھنامانگنا
hỏicầu xinchất vấn

ask

[ɑːsk]
A. TRANSITIVE VERB
1. (= inquire) → preguntar
"how is Frank?" he asked-¿cómo está Frank? -preguntó
to ask sb sthpreguntar algo a algn
I asked him his name/the timele pregunté su nombre/la hora
to ask o.s. sthpreguntarse 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 thatllevo tiempo queriendo or hace tiempo que quiero preguntarte acerca de eso
ask her about her plans for Christmaspregúntale 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 herpregúntale si la ha visto
if you ask me, I think she's crazypara mí que está loca
and where have you been, may I ask?¿y dónde has estado, si se puede saber?
to ask (sb) a questionhacer una pregunta (a algn)
I asked the teacher what to do nextle pregunté al profesor lo que tenía que hacer después
ask them what time the party ispregúntales a qué hora es la fiesta
who asked you?¿quién te ha preguntado a ti?
ask her why she didn't comepregúntale por qué no vino
2. (= request) → pedir
to ask sb a favour, ask a favour of sbpedir un favor a algn
how much are they asking for the car?¿cuánto piden por el coche?
they are asking £80,000 for the housepiden 80.000 libras por la casa
that's asking the impossibleeso es pedir lo imposible
it's not a lot to askno es mucho pedir
that's asking a loteso es mucho pedir
what more can you ask?¿qué más se puede pedir?
to ask sth of sb he did everything asked of himhizo todo lo que se le pidió
all he asked of us was that we tell people about his plightsólo nos pidió que habláramos a la gente de la difícil situación en que se encontraba
to ask that sth be donepedir que se haga algo
all I'm asking is that you keep an open mindsólo te pido que or lo único que pido es que mantengas una actitud abierta
to ask to do sth: I asked to see the directorpedí ver al director
he asked to go on the picnicpreguntó si podía ir (con ellos) de picnic
to ask sb to do sthpedir a algn que haga algo
we had to ask him to leavetuvimos que decirle or pedirle que se marchara
that's asking too mucheso es pedir demasiado
I think she's asking too muchcreo que está exigiendo demasiado
see also permission
3. (= invite) → invitar
have you been asked?¿te han invitado?
to ask sb to dinnerinvitar a algn a cenar
B. INTRANSITIVE VERB
1. (= inquire) → preguntar
he was too shy to askle dio vergüenza preguntar
ask about our reduced rates for studentspregunta por or infórmate sobre nuestros descuentos para estudiantes
he was asking about the Vikingspreguntaba acerca de or sobre los vikingos
I asked about the possibility of staying onpregunté acerca de or sobre la posibilidad de quedarme más tiempo, pregunté si era posible que me quedara más tiempo
he was asking about youestaba 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 askingera 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 asksi quieres algo no tienes más que pedirlo
the asking priceel precio que se pide/pedía
I offered £5,000 below the asking priceles ofrecí 5.000 libras menos de lo que pedían
it's yours for the askingno 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 youJane (me) preguntaba por ti
ask along VT + ADVinvitar
ask him along if you likesi quieres, dile que vengainvítale si quieres
ask around VI + ADVpreguntar por ahí
ask around to find out which are the best schoolspregunta 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 showme invitó a su casa después del espectáculo
ask for
A. VI + PREP
1. (= request) → pedir, solicitar (more frm)
he wrote asking for helpescribió pidiendo or (more frm) solicitando ayuda
to ask for sth backpedir que se devuelva algo
2. (= look for) to ask for sbpreguntar por algn
there's someone asking for you at receptionhay alguien en recepción que pregunta por ti
3. (in idiomatic phrases)
he is all I could ask for in a sontiene 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 troubleeso no es otra cosa que buscarse problemas
B. VT + PREP
to ask sb for sthpedir algo a algn
ask in VT + ADVinvitar a entrar, invitar a pasar
to ask sb in for a drinkinvitar a algn a que pase a tomar algo
ask out VT + ADVinvitar a salir
they never ask her outno la invitan nunca a salir (con ellos)
he asked her out to dinnerla invitó (a salir) a cenar
ask round VT + ADVinvitar (a casa)
they've asked us round for drinksnos 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.
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

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?
videmander
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 fusdemander des nouvelles de
ask for
vt fusdemander
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
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ask

vt
(= inquire)fragen; questionstellen; to ask somebody the way/the time/his opinionjdn nach dem Weg/der Uhrzeit/seiner Meinung fragen; to ask if …(nach)fragen, ob …; he asked me where I’d beener fragte mich, wo ich gewesen sei or wäre (inf)or bin (inf); if you ask mewenn 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 lunchjdn 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 somethingjdn 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 excuseder bat, ihn zu entschuldigen, er entschuldigte sich; that’s asking the impossibledas ist ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit; he asks too much of meer verlangt zu viel von mir; that’s asking too muchdas ist zu viel verlangt
(Comm) priceverlangen, fordern
vi
(= inquire)fragen; to ask about somebody/somethingsich nach jdm/etw erkundigen; ask away!frag nur!; I only askedich 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 askdas fragt man sich mit Recht
(= request)bitten (for sth um etw); you just have to askdu musst nur was sagen (inf), → du brauchst nur zu fragen; I’m not asking for sympathyich will kein Mitleid; there’s no harm in askingFragen kostet nichts!; it’s yours for the askingdu kannst es haben; you are asking for troubledu willst wohl Ärger haben; if you do that you’re asking for troublewenn du das tust, dann kriegst du Ärger; that’s asking for troubledas 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 XHerrn X verlangen; she was asking for you (Scot) → sie hat sich nach dir erkundigt; to ask for something backetw wiederhaben wollen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ask

[ɑːsk]
1. vt
a. (inquire) to ask sb sthdomandare 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 sthchiedere 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 sthinvitare 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 + prepchiedere 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
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ask

(aːsk) verb
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.
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?
3. to invite. He asked her to his house for lunch.
ask after
to make inquiries about the health etc of. She asked after his father.
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.
2. to behave as if inviting (something unpleasant). Going for a swim when you have a cold is just as asking for trouble.
for the asking
you may have (something) simply by asking for it; This table is yours for the asking.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

ask

يَسْأَلُ 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
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

ask

vt. preguntar, interrogar, hacer preguntas; [about someone] preguntar por;
to ___ for[to request] pedir.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
During the quadrille nothing of any significance was said: there was disjointed talk between them of the Korsunskys, husband and wife, whom he described very amusingly, as delightful children at forty, and of the future town theater; and only once the conversation touched her to the quick, when he asker her about Levin, whether he was here, and added that he liked him so much.
This is the approach at Google Answers, a web-based service that facilitates paid matches between "answerers" (who have answers or research skills) and "askers" (who offer payment for answers to their respective questions).
The women generally replied the same whether the asker was a woman or a man.