enquiry

enquiry 是英语中表示“询问、调查、探究”的名词，主要是 inquiry 的英式拼写。

💡 记忆钩子

把它想成“主动去寻找答案”：可以是向别人提出询问，也可以是对某个问题进行调查或探究；enquiry 和 inquiry 意思相同，主要区别在拼写地域。

📝 学习建议

先把 enquiry 和 inquiry 作为同一个词记忆，不要误以为它们表示不同概念。
注意这是名词，不是动词；表示“询问”时，中文学习者容易直接套用动词结构，英语中通常要说 make an enquiry 或 an enquiry about something。

📖 中文释义

noun

core 询问；调查；探究

📖 指为了得到信息而提出的问题或请求，也可以指对某个问题进行系统调查、研究的过程。它的核心都是“主动寻找答案”，而 enquiry 是 inquiry 的英式拼写。

💡 常见模式是 an enquiry about something、make an enquiry about something，以及 scientific enquiry。表示一次具体询问时通常用可数形式；表示学术或正式调查活动时也常用不可数形式。英式英语写 enquiry，美式英语通常写 inquiry，二者不要混用为两个不同词。

British alt-of countable uncountable

I made an enquiry about the cost of the course.

我询问了这门课程的费用。

Scientific enquiry depends on careful observation.

科学探究依赖于仔细的观察。

enquiries plural

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 3 组

a systematic investigation of a matter of public interest

同义词集: inquiry enquiry

上位: investigating, investigation 下位: inquest

a search for knowledge

同义词集: inquiry enquiry research

their pottery deserves more research than it has received

下位: canvass, experiment, experimentation, investigation, opinion poll, poll, probe, public opinion poll

an instance of questioning;

同义词集: question inquiry enquiry query interrogation

there was a question about my training

we made inquiries of all those who were present

反义: answer 上位: inquiring, questioning

🌳 词源

源自中古英语和古法语，词根含有“寻找、追求”的意思；后来 inquiry 重新采用了更接近拉丁语的拼写。

From Middle English enquery, from the Old French verb enquerre, from Latin inquīrō, composed of in- (“in, at, on; into”) + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). The alternative form inquiry was subsequently respelled to conform to the original Latin spelling, as opposed to the Old French spelling.

🔄 变式

enquiries plural

🏷 单词标签 & 词根