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Questions & Answers about Frag doch jemand anderen.
Why is it Frag and not Frage?
It’s the 2nd person singular imperative of fragen. The imperative can be frag(e)!; the ending -e is optional. In everyday speech you almost always hear Frag doch …, while Frage doch … sounds formal or old-fashioned. Other imperative forms:
- 2nd person plural: Fragt doch …
- Polite Sie-form: Fragen Sie doch …
What does doch add here?
Doch is a modal particle that softens or nudges the command. It can suggest “go on and … / why don’t you …,” often implying the speaker thinks it’s an obvious or reasonable step. Without doch, the imperative can sound sharper.
Why is it jemand anderen and not jemanden anderen?
The verb fragen takes an accusative object, so in careful standard German the pronoun should be in the accusative: jemanden. Many speakers, however, leave jemand undeclined in everyday speech, so Frag doch jemand anderen is very common. In formal writing prefer: Frag doch jemanden anderen.
Why does anderen end in -en?
Because ander- is an adjective modifying the (masculine) pronoun jemand, and there’s no article, it takes strong adjective endings. In the accusative masculine singular, that ending is -en:
- Nominative: jemand anderer
- Accusative: jemanden anderen
- Dative: jemandem anderen
Can I say jemand anderes or jemand anders instead?
You will hear both in spoken German, but they’re best avoided in careful writing. The safest standard forms with jemand are:
- Nominative: jemand anderer
- Accusative: jemanden anderen
- Dative: jemandem anderen
By contrast, with etwas you must say etwas anderes (not “etwas anderer”).
Could I just say Frag doch einen anderen?
Yes. Frag doch einen anderen is idiomatic and means “Ask another (person).” Jemanden anderen emphasizes “someone else” (indefinite person), while einen anderen feels a touch more like “a different one (from this group),” but in many contexts they’re interchangeable.
Where can doch go? Is Doch frag … the same?
As a modal particle in an imperative, doch typically comes right after the verb: Frag doch … You can also add softeners like mal: Frag doch mal …
Initial Doch frag … uses doch as a conjunction meaning “but/however,” which changes the meaning.
Why is there no article before jemand?
Because jemand is an indefinite pronoun, not a noun. It doesn’t take an article. The adjective anderen simply modifies the pronoun: jemand anderen. If you use a noun instead, you need an article: einen anderen Mann.
Does fragen need a preposition? When do I use nach?
- You ask a person directly: jemanden fragen (accusative).
- You ask about something: jemanden nach etwas fragen or nach etwas fragen.
- “Ask for someone else (to speak to)” can be: nach jemand anderem fragen (you are requesting a different person).
How can I say this more politely?
- Informal but soft: Frag doch mal jemanden anderen. / Frag doch lieber jemanden anderen.
- Polite: Könnten Sie vielleicht jemanden anderen fragen? / Fragen Sie doch bitte jemanden anderen.
Is jemand grammatically masculine? Does that affect the ending?
Yes, jemand is grammatically masculine, even though it can refer to any person. That’s why the adjective shows masculine endings: jemand anderer (nom.), jemanden anderen (acc.), jemandem anderen (dat.).
Can anything come between jemand and anderen?
Generally no—they form one noun phrase: jemand anderen. You can insert particles elsewhere (e.g., Frag doch mal jemanden anderen), but you don’t split jemand and anderen.
How do you pronounce frag?
Final g is devoiced in German, so frag sounds like “frahk” [fraːk]. Think of the vowel in English “bra” plus a hard k at the end.
Should anderen be capitalized?
No. It’s an adjective here, so lowercase: jemand anderen. You only capitalize when it’s a substantivized noun like der Andere or at the start of a sentence.