Spørge efter means "to ask for" (to inquire whether something is available) or "to ask after" (to inquire about a person). The particle efter is what gives it this "inquiring about" flavor. The two big challenges for English speakers are the irregular past spurgte and telling spørge efter apart from its cousins spørge om ("ask whether") and bede om ("request to receive"). This page sorts all three out.
Principal parts
Spørge efter is built on the mixed verb spørge ("to ask"), which has an irregular, vowel-shifting past. The particle efter rides along on every form.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | Past participle | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (at) spørge efter | spørger efter | spurgte efter | spurgt efter | spørg efter! |
Meaning 1: ask for / inquire after something (availability)
At a counter, a shop, or a desk, spørge efter means to ask whether something is there or can be had — to inquire after it.
Du må spørge efter varen ved kassen.
You'll have to ask for the item at the till.
Jeg spurgte efter en bestemt bog, men de havde den ikke.
I asked for a particular book, but they didn't have it.
Hvis du er i tvivl, så spørg efter en medarbejder.
If you're in doubt, ask for a staff member.
The sense is "inquire about the availability of." You are not yet receiving the thing — you are checking whether it can be got.
Meaning 2: ask after someone
With a person, spørge efter means "ask after / ask about" — to inquire how someone is or where they are.
Han spurgte efter dig til festen i går.
He asked after you at the party yesterday.
Min mormor spørger altid efter dig.
My grandma always asks after you.
Der var en mand, der spurgte efter chefen.
There was a man asking for the boss.
Notice that spurgte efter dig means "asked about you / inquired after you," not "asked you a question." That difference is exactly where English speakers stumble.
Common collocations
- spørge efter
- noun (thing) — ask for / inquire after (at a counter)
- spørge efter
- person — ask after someone
- spørge efter vej — ask for directions
- spørge efter prisen — ask the price
- der bliver spurgt efter — there's demand for (passive, of a product)
Vi måtte spørge efter vej flere gange.
We had to ask for directions several times.
Der bliver spurgt meget efter den model lige nu.
That model is in high demand right now.
The three-way contrast: efter vs om vs bede om
This is the section to study. All three can surface as "ask" or "ask for" in English, but Danish keeps them apart by what kind of asking is meant.
| Construction | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| spørge efter | inquire after / ask about availability or a person | Han spurgte efter dig. (asked about you) |
| spørge om | ask whether / ask about a topic | Han spurgte om dig. (asked questions concerning you) |
| bede om | request (to be given something) | Han bad om en kop kaffe. (requested a coffee) |
The insight: spørge is about inquiring (getting information), while bede om is about requesting (getting a thing). If you want to receive something, you beder om it; if you merely want to know whether it exists or how someone is doing, you spørger efter it. See bede for the request verb and spørge for the base verb and spørge om.
Jeg spurgte efter mælk, men de var udsolgt.
I asked for milk (whether they had any), but they were sold out. (spørge efter)
Jeg bad om mælken på bordet.
I asked for the milk on the table (requested it). (bede om)
Hun spurgte om, hvornår toget kørte.
She asked when the train left. (spørge om — a question)
Notice how spørge efter dig ("asked after you") and spørge om dig ("asked questions about you") differ only in the preposition — yet the meaning shifts. Efter points at availability or a person's wellbeing; om introduces the subject matter of a question.
Common mistakes
❌ Han spørgede efter dig.
Incorrect — the past is irregular: spurgte, not spørgede.
✅ Han spurgte efter dig.
He asked after you.
❌ Jeg spurgte efter en kop kaffe.
Wrong verb — to request a coffee you receive, use bede om.
✅ Jeg bad om en kop kaffe.
I asked for a cup of coffee.
❌ Han spurgte efter, om du var hjemme.
Incorrect — introducing a yes/no question uses spørge om, not efter.
✅ Han spurgte, om du var hjemme.
He asked whether you were home.
❌ Vi har spørgt efter vej.
Incorrect — the participle is spurgt, not spørgt.
✅ Vi har spurgt efter vej.
We've asked for directions.
❌ Hun bad efter chefen.
Incorrect — bede takes om, not efter; and for 'ask after a person' use spørge efter.
✅ Hun spurgte efter chefen.
She asked for the boss.
A short dialogue
— Var der nogen, der kiggede forbi? — Ja, en kunde spurgte efter dig.
— Did anyone drop by? — Yes, a customer asked for you.
— Hils din far. — Det skal jeg nok. Han spørger tit efter dig.
— Say hi to your dad. — I will. He often asks after you.
Key takeaways
- Spørge efter conjugates like spørge, with the irregular past spurgte and participle spurgt: spørger efter / spurgte efter / har spurgt efter.
- It means "ask for / inquire after" — about a thing's availability (spørge efter en vare) or a person (spørge efter dig).
- Keep the trio straight: spørge efter (inquire after) vs spørge om (ask whether) vs bede om (request to receive).
- Inquiring gets you information; bede om gets you the thing.
Now practice Danish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Danish→Related Topics
- SpørgeB1 — Full reference for spørge ('to ask a question') — principal parts with the irregular past spurgte, all core tenses in natural sentences, spørge om and spørge efter, the noun et spørgsmål, and how spørge (ask a question) differs from bede om (request a thing).
- BedeA2 — Full reference for the strong verb 'bede' (to ask for / request / pray), including the crucial 'bede om' vs 'spørge' split.
- Reflexive VerbsA2 — Inherently reflexive Danish verbs that always need sig/mig/dig — glæde sig, skynde sig, sætte sig, føle sig, gifte sig, more sig, lægge sig — and how they differ from reciprocals.
- Blive færdigB1 — How to use blive færdig ('to finish, get done'), why it takes være in the perfect, and how it differs from the transitive gøre færdig, afslutte, and slutte.