inquire

动词，表示询问某事，也可表示正式调查或查究某事；“称作、命名”是过时用法。

💡 记忆钩子

把它想成“走进去寻找答案”：先是向别人走近并询问情况，进一步就是深入查究事件；古旧用法则把某物“叫作”某个名字。

📝 学习建议

学习时先掌握“询问”这一核心义，再理解“调查、查究”是把寻找答案的动作进一步加深；不要把过时的“称作、命名”当作现代常用义。

📖 中文释义

verb

core 询问；打听

📖 向别人询问某件事，以获得信息或确认情况，语气通常比日常的“问”更正式。

💡 常见结构是“inquire about + 事物/情况”，也可以说“inquire whether/what/how...”来询问具体信息。它常用于服务、工作和正式书面语境；日常聊天中直接说“问”通常更自然。不要把它机械地当作可以直接接人的普通“问”，询问对象时应选择合适的介词结构。

Australia Canada US ambitransitive intransitive

I am writing to inquire about the status of my application.

我写信是想询问我的申请目前进展如何。

She called to inquire whether the museum was open.

她打电话询问博物馆是否开放。
core 调查；查究

📖 不只是提出一个问题，而是持续搜集信息、查找原因或核实事实；这是“寻找答案”进一步深入后的用法。

💡 常见结构是“inquire into + 事件/问题”，也可用“inquire whether...”表示对某个事实进行查证。这个用法常见于警方、委员会、机构等正式调查语境，不能简单理解成一次普通提问。表示日常询问时不要误用这个结构。

ambitransitive intransitive

The company is inquiring into the cause of the security breach.

公司正在调查这次安全漏洞的原因。
rare 称作；命名

📖 古旧用法，表示把某人或某物叫作某个名字；现代英语中基本不这样使用。

ambitransitive obsolete transitive

inquires present,singular,third-person inquiring participle,present inquired participle,past inquired past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 3 组

have a wish or desire to know something

同义词集: wonder inquire enquire

He wondered who had built this beautiful church

上位: query, question 下位: request

conduct an inquiry or investigation of;

同义词集: investigate inquire enquire

The district attorney's office investigated reports of possible irregularities

inquire into the disappearance of the rich old lady

上位: examine, probe 下位: spy

address a question to and expect an answer from; ; ;

同义词集: ask inquire enquire

Ask your teacher about trigonometry

The children asked me about their dead grandmother

I inquired about their special today

He had to ask directions several times

上位: communicate, intercommunicate 下位: confer with, consult, interrogate, pry, query, question

🌳 词源

源自拉丁语，原意与“寻找、追求”有关；现代词义由“寻找答案”发展而来。

From Latin inquīrō (“to seek for”), 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”). Displaced Middle English enqueren (from Old French enquerre, of the same source) and native Middle English speir (“ask, inquire”).

🔄 变式

inquired past inquires present inquiring present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根