Word
Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
Meaning
Feel free to ask the female colleague; she will surely give you information.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Frag die Kollegin ruhig mal, sie gibt dir bestimmt Auskunft.
sie
she
geben
to give
dir
you; (informal singular, dative)
fragen
to ask
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?