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Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.

Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
Feel free to ask the female colleague; she will surely give you information.
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Questions & Answers about Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.

Why is it Frag and not Frage?

It’s the singular imperative of fragen. In modern usage, the -e at the end is optional:

  • Singular informal: Frag (…!) or Frage (…!) — Frag sounds more natural.
  • Plural informal: Fragt (…!)
  • Formal: Fragen Sie (…!)

Don’t confuse the noun Frage (a question) with the verb form. Also, ich frage (I ask) is present tense, not an imperative.

Does ruhig mean “calmly” here?

No. In imperatives, ruhig is a pragmatic softener meaning “go ahead,” “don’t hesitate,” or “feel free to.” It reassures the listener that the action is welcome.

  • Example nuance: Du kannst mich ruhig anrufen. = Go ahead and call me (it’s fine).
What does mal add? Is it really “once”?

Literally from einmal (“once”), but in everyday speech mal is a softener that makes an imperative sound friendlier and less blunt. It often doesn’t translate directly.

  • Frag … mal ≈ “Just ask …”
  • ruhig mal together strengthens the “go ahead, no worries” tone.
Why is there a comma between two complete clauses?

German allows a comma to link two main clauses (parataxis). English would typically use a period, semicolon, or a conjunction.

  • Alternatives:
    • Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal; sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
    • Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, denn sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
    • Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal. Sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
What case is die Kollegin, and why not der/den Kollegin?

Die Kollegin is the direct object of frag(en), so it’s accusative singular feminine. For feminine nouns, nominative and accusative articles are both die, which is why you don’t see a change.

  • Ask whom? → die Kollegin (Akkusativ)
  • Dative feminine would be der Kollegin, but that’s not used after fragen.
Why is it dir and not dich?

Because geben takes a dative for the recipient and accusative for the thing given: jemandem (Dat) etwas (Akk) geben.

  • Here: sie gibt dir (Dat) Auskunft (Akk).
  • Quick reminder: dich = accusative “you (singular)”, dir = dative “to you (singular).”
What exactly is Auskunft, and how do I use it?

Auskunft means “information/a piece of information (in response to a question).” Common collocations:

  • jemandem Auskunft geben/erteilen = to give someone information
  • Often used without an article in this collocation: Sie gibt dir Auskunft.
  • Countable is possible: eine Auskunft (one piece of info), plural Auskünfte.
  • It also names an information desk/service (e.g., at a station).
Does bestimmt mean “definitely” or “probably”?

Both exist in practice:

  • Core meaning: “definitely/certainly.”
  • In colloquial speech, it can sometimes sound like “very likely” (strong probability). In this sentence, it expresses high confidence that she’ll give you the info.
  • As an adjective, bestimmt also means “specific/particular” (e.g., zu einem bestimmten Termin).
Who is sie here? Could it mean formal “you” (Sie)?

Here it’s lowercase sie = “she,” referring back to die Kollegin. Formal Sie (you) would be capitalized and would change the verb form and pronouns:

  • Formal version: Fragen Sie die Kollegin ruhig mal, Sie gibt Ihnen bestimmt Auskunft. (More naturally: …, sie wird Ihnen bestimmt Auskunft geben.)
Is the sentence formal or informal?

Informal. Frag … (du-imperative) and dir (dative of du) show you’re addressing someone you’d call “du.” Formal would be:

  • Fragen Sie die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt Ihnen bestimmt Auskunft.
Can I move mal and ruhig around?

A bit, but some positions sound more idiomatic:

  • Very natural: Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal … / Frag ruhig mal die Kollegin … / Frag die Kollegin mal …
  • Less natural: Frag die Kollegin mal ruhig … (possible, but ruhig mal tends to cluster)
  • You can also add other softeners: Frag doch mal die Kollegin …
Why not future tense like sie wird dir bestimmt Auskunft geben?
You can say that, but German often uses the present to talk about near-future or very likely events. Sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft is idiomatic and confident. Sie wird dir … geben can emphasize futurity or add a slightly predictive tone.
Could I replace Auskunft geben with other verbs?

Yes, depending on nuance:

  • Sie informiert dich. (She informs you.) — a bit more direct.
  • Sie kann dir weiterhelfen. (She can help you out.) — broader help.
  • Sie erteilt dir Auskunft. — more formal/legal-administrative.
  • Sie beantwortet dir die Frage. — if a specific question is meant.
How does fragen handle objects? Do I need a preposition?

For the person you ask, use the accusative without a preposition:

  • jemanden fragen = to ask someone → Frag die Kollegin … For the topic you’re asking about, use nach
    • dative:
  • jemanden nach etwas fragen = ask someone about something → Frag die Kollegin nach dem Termin.
What if I don’t want to specify a female colleague?

Options:

  • Neutral/escalated: Frag eine Person aus dem Team …, Frag jemanden aus dem Team …
  • If you want to mention both genders explicitly: Frag die Kollegin oder den Kollegen …
  • Inclusive written forms vary by style guide: Kolleg:in, Kollegin/Kollege, Kolleg*innen (mainly writing; spoken German usually paraphrases).
What’s the difference between Kollegin and Mitarbeiterin?
  • Kollegin = colleague/peer (same organization or team, equal footing).
  • Mitarbeiterin = employee/staff member (can imply a reporting relationship). In some contexts, using Kollegin is friendlier and less hierarchical.
Where can bestimmt go in the second clause?

Default placement is mid-field before the main content word:

  • Sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft. (neutral, common) Shifts in position affect emphasis:
  • Bestimmt gibt sie dir Auskunft. (fronted for emphasis: definitely!)
  • Sie gibt dir Auskunft, bestimmt. (tag-like afterthought; more colloquial)