Ich frage mich, ob das Brot frisch ist.

to be

Breakdown of Ich frage mich, ob das Brot frisch ist.

• das Brot: the bread
• ich: I
• frisch: fresh

Questions & Answers about Ich frage mich, ob das Brot frisch ist.

What is the literal word-for-word translation of Ich frage mich?

Literally it’s “I ask myself.” Idiomatically in English we say “I wonder.”

Why is mich used in Ich frage mich, with fragen reflexively?

Because sich fragen is a reflexive verb meaning “to wonder.” If you drop mich, fragen becomes a non-reflexive verb that needs a direct object (e.g. Ich frage meinen Lehrer).

What exactly does ob translate to, and why is it used here?

ob means “whether” or “if” in English and is used to introduce an indirect yes/no question. Anytime you turn a yes/no question into a subordinate clause, you use ob.

Could I use dass instead of ob? For example: Ich frage mich, dass das Brot frisch ist.

No. dass introduces a statement clause (like “that…”). For an indirect yes/no question you must use ob.
Correct: Ich frage mich, ob das Brot frisch ist.

Why does the verb ist move to the end in ob das Brot frisch ist?