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I've needed to use a word "to ask" recently, and the word I decided on was
[尋]{たず}ねる. But I have strong doubts that this is actually the right word to
use in a situation such as this:

> I would like to ask you something. (e.g. about my name, about what time it
> is)

Is there a better word to use than [尋]{たず}ねる for "ask" in this case? I've
heard of [質問]{しつもん}する, but in both cases I can't find anything on how to use
either of them in an actual sentence.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-08T04:55:01.910
18164
2019-09-05T17:47:28.997
2923
question
word-choice
What is a word meaning "to ask"?
Without a doubt, the single most natural verb choice among us native speakers
is:

> [聞]{き}く (sometimes written as 訊く)

・「聞きたいことがあるんだけど、いい？」 = "Can I ask you a question?" More literally, "There is
something I want to ask, OK?"

・「ひとつ聞いてもいい？」 = "Can I ask you a question?" (Literally.)

・「[何]{なん}でも[聞]{き}いて。」 = "Ask me anything!"

「尋ねる」, though some J-learners seem to use it as if it were the default verb,
is actually too big a word for everyday conversations. They should know that
it sounds pretty formal.

「質問（を）する」 is used much more often than 「尋ねる」 by native speakers but we
definitely use 「聞く」 more often than 「質問（を）する」 in informal situations.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-08-08T05:29:06.817
18165
2019-09-05T17:47:28.997
2019-09-05T17:47:28.997
18164
answer