inquire

Word family

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。

Examples from the Corpus

inquire after • I never inquired after Jean-Claude and I never heard from him.• Finally, Miranda inquired after Scott.• During the hearings political protests, as such, were most gentle: one patriot inquiring after the patriotism of another.• He was for ever putting his arm round surly Arthur and inquiring after the score with a beam on his face.• Muriel inquired after their day and received polite but monosyllabic replies from each of them.

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。

Examples from the Corpus

inquire into • The prospect of inquiring into a murder single-handed was not one that she relished.• They commit themselves to inquire into all alleged cases of torture and to prosecute offenders.• Does his Lordship mean that the court would not have inquired into any alleged misconstruction of that term?• The stewards should at least have inquired into Spritsail's dramatic resurgence as a public-relations exercise.• However, Lord Justice Woolf was asked to inquire into Strangeways and the other riots.• They will not inquire into the adequacy of the consideration he has asked for and received.• Does not the court indicate that it is necessary to inquire into the adequacy of the consideration in cases of this type?• There were very few functionaries, however mean, who would stoop to inquire into the maintenance of toilets.

—inquirer noun [countableC]

Examples from the Corpus

inquire• "Did you ever raise money illegally?" the interviewer inquired.• Several people have phoned the personnel department to inquire about the position.• We inquired at all the hotels in town, but we couldn't find Carol anywhere.• We rang the hospital again to inquire how the old man was.

inquire further• Arthur inquired further and relayed his findings.• Toby would have liked to inquire further, but had feared a snub at his age and inexperience.

From Longman Business Dictionary

inquirein·quire /ɪnˈkwaɪə-ˈkwaɪr/ (also enquire) verb [intransitiveI]

1to ask someone for information

inquire about

Hundreds of prospective buyers have inquired about the auction.

inquire whether/ when/why etc

Employers may not inquire whether an applicant has a disability.

—inquirer noun [countableC]

Make sure you get the inquirer’s name and address.

2inquire within used on notices, especially in shop windows, to mean that you can find out more about something inside

Vacancies — inquire within.

Origin inquire

(1200-1300) Old French enquerre, from Latin inquirere, from quaerere “to look for”

in·quire verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus

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