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# inquire

«inquire» in Mova's school dictionary: **To ask for information about something: inquire about the…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (inquire, inquires, inquired, inquiring; UK also enquire)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To ask for information about something: inquire about the times of trains. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#m1)

2) (formal) To ask someone something politely: «May I inquire your name?» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#m2)

3) To investigate officially: inquire into an accident. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life, people inquire at reception or the information desk. In science, «enquiry» or «inquiry» learning means asking questions and testing them. In news and law, officials inquire into accidents and complaints. Phrases: inquire about, inquire after someone (ask how they are), inquire into, inquire within (on shop signs).

### examples

- Mum inquired about swimming lessons at the leisure centre. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x1)
- «May I inquire where you are going?» asked the guard. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x2)
- The sign said «Part-time job — inquire within». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x3)
- The council will inquire into the playground accident. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x4)
- Grandma always inquires after my health. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x5)
- We inquired how long the train would take. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x6)
- "But why not?" inquired the prince. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/#x7)

### note

In the UK many use «enquire» for asking and «inquire» for official investigations; in the US «inquire» is used for both. Nouns: «inquiry», «enquiry». «Inquire» is more formal than «ask».

### In the corpora

- [So good of you to inquire!](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/47-willows-ch6-part3-toad-tricks-the-rat/20/)
- [And they said: 'We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/GEN.682/)
- [And Moses said unto his father-in-law: 'Because the people come unto me to inquire of God;](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.515/)
- [And the king said: 'Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1SA.512/)
- [And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1SA.646/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «inquire» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inquire/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.