in·quire, enquire /ɪnˈkwaɪə $ -ˈkwaɪr/ ●○○ verb [intransitiveI, transitiveT] formal 1 ASK A QUESTIONto ask someone for information 询问,打听 ‘Why are you doing that?’ the boy inquired. “你为什么这么做?”男孩问道。
inquire about I am writing to inquire about your advertisement in ‘The Times’. 贵方在《泰晤士报》刊登广告,特此致函问询。
inquire whether/why/how etc The waiter inquired whether we would like to sit near the window. 侍者问我们是否想靠窗坐。
inquire something of somebody ‘Where’s the station?’ she inquired of a passer-by. “车站在哪儿?” 她问一名过路人。
Toby would have liked to inquire further (=ask more questions). 托比本想问更多的问题。
► see thesaurus at ask 2 inquire after somebody/something phrasal verbphr v formal ASK A QUESTIONto ask about someone’s health, what they are doing etc 问候,问好 He called me aside to inquire after my daughter. 他把我叫到一旁,打听我女儿的情况。
3 inquire into something phrasal verbphr v formal ASK A QUESTIONto ask questions in order to get more information about something 查问,查究,调查 The investigation will inquire into the company’s financial dealings. 此次调查将会涉及公司的财务往来。
—inquirer noun [countableC]