Ich rufe die Hotline an, um nachzufragen, ob das Gerücht stimmt.

I call the hotline to ask whether the rumor is true.

Breakdown of Ich rufe die Hotline an, um nachzufragen, ob das Gerücht stimmt.

• ich: I
• ob: whether
• um ... zu: in order to
• anrufen: to call
• das Gerücht: the rumor
• stimmen: to be true
• die Hotline: the hotline
• nachfragen: to ask, to inquire

Questions & Answers about Ich rufe die Hotline an, um nachzufragen, ob das Gerücht stimmt.

Why is an separated from rufe in Ich rufe … an?

Because anrufen is a separable-prefix verb (an- + rufen).

• In a main clause, the conjugated verb goes in position 2 (rufe) and the separable prefix goes to the end (an).
• In an infinitive, the parts stay together: (jemanden) anrufen.

So: Ich rufe die Hotline an. but Ich möchte die Hotline anrufen.

Why is the verb in second position even though the sentence starts with Ich?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule (the conjugated verb is in position 2). Here the first element is Ich, so the verb comes next:
Ich | rufe | die Hotline | an.

If you started with something else, the verb would still be second:
Heute rufe ich die Hotline an.

Why does German say die Hotline—what case is it, and why?

die Hotline is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative case.

• The verb anrufen takes a direct object: jemanden anrufen = to call someone/something.
• For feminine nouns, die is the same in nominative and accusative, so you can’t “see” the case change here.

What does um … zu mean here, and why is it used?

um … zu + infinitive expresses purpose: in order to … / so as to …
In the sentence: …, um nachzufragen, … = …, in order to ask/check …

It’s used when:

• the subject of the main clause and the infinitive action is the same person (here: Ich is doing both).

Why is there a comma before um and another after nachzufragen?

German uses commas to mark clause boundaries more strictly than English.

• , um nachzufragen, … sets off the um-zu infinitive clause.
• Inside it, you have another clause starting with ob …, so the punctuation separates the parts clearly.

A common pattern is:
Main clause, um … zu …, subordinate clause.

What’s the function of nachzufragen, and why does it have nach-?

nachfragen means to ask (for confirmation/details), to check, to inquire.
It also has a separable prefix (nach-), like anrufen:

• Main clause: Ich frage nach.
• Infinitive: nachfragen
• With zu: nachzufragen (the zu goes between prefix and verb: nach + zu + fragen)

So um nachzufragen = in order to inquire / ask to confirm.

Why is ob used, and how is it different from wenn?

ob introduces an indirect yes/no question: whether/if.
Here: ob das Gerücht stimmt = whether the rumor is true.

wenn usually means:

• if (a condition): Wenn es regnet, bleibe ich zu Hause.
• when (repeated/whenever): Wenn ich Zeit habe, rufe ich an.

So you need ob, not wenn, because it’s about checking a yes/no fact.

Why is the word order ob das Gerücht stimmt (verb at the end)?

Because ob introduces a subordinate clause, and in German subordinate clauses the conjugated verb goes to the end.

• Main clause: Ich rufe … an
• Subordinate clause: ob das Gerücht stimmt (subject das Gerücht, verb stimmt at the end)

What does stimmt mean here? Is it related to Stimme (“voice”)?

Here stimmt is from the verb stimmen, meaning to be correct / to be true / to check out.

• Das stimmt. = That’s correct/true.
• Stimmt das? = Is that true?
• ob das Gerücht stimmt = whether the rumor is true.

It’s historically related to “tuning/being in tune,” and Stimme (voice) is related by origin, but in everyday use stimmen here simply means to be true/correct.

Why is it das Gerücht (neuter), and what case is it in?

Gerücht is a neuter noun, so its nominative article is das: das Gerücht.
In ob das Gerücht stimmt, das Gerücht is the subject of the subordinate clause (it’s the thing that “is true or not”), so it’s in the nominative case.