All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frage | question; issue | asking or discussing a matter | die Frage; die Fragen |
| Anfrage | request for information | contacting a person or organization | die Anfrage; die Anfragen |
| Nachfrage | inquiry; follow-up; demand | clarification or market interest | die Nachfrage; die Nachfragen |
Frage
Meaning and usage: Use Frage for an ordinary spoken or written question. It also names an issue that needs discussion or a decision, so eine offene Frage need not refer to the wording of a question. Eine Frage stellen and eine Frage beantworten are useful everyday combinations.
Grammar: Feminine: die Frage, plural die Fragen. Jemandem eine Frage stellen has a dative recipient and an accusative question. Nach + dative can name the subject of an inquiry: die Frage nach dem Preis.
Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen?
May I ask you a question?
Anfrage
Meaning and usage: Use Anfrage for a request sent or put to someone for information, availability, or an offer. It is common in customer service, administration and professional correspondence, but it can also be made by telephone. Written and formal are frequent contexts, not grammatical requirements.
Grammar: Feminine: die Anfrage, plural die Anfragen. Eine Anfrage an jemanden richten uses an + accusative for the recipient. Zu + dative can identify the topic; eine Anfrage beantworten places the request in accusative.
Wir haben eine Anfrage zur Verfügbarkeit des Raums geschickt.
We sent an inquiry about the room's availability.
Nachfrage
Meaning and usage: Use Nachfrage for checking or asking further, including a follow-up when an answer is insufficient. It can also be a general inquiry, so a previous question is not mandatory. In economics or shopping discussions it refers to buyers' interest or willingness to purchase something.
Grammar: Feminine: die Nachfrage, plural die Nachfragen. Individual follow-up questions are countable. Commercial demand is usually singular: die Nachfrage nach + dative. The meaning comes from the surrounding sentence, not from the article.
Nach der Erklärung hatte ich noch eine Nachfrage.
After the explanation, I still had a follow-up question.
Die Nachfrage nach kleinen Wohnungen steigt.
Demand for small apartments is increasing.
Overlap and context
Eine Anfrage may contain several Fragen. If you need clarification, you can ask eine Frage or eine Nachfrage; the latter highlights asking further. In a service email, Anfrage and Nachfrage may both work, but a phrase such as Nachfrage nach Wohnungen probably concerns demand if paired with steigen or sinken. Do not infer market demand from a bare occurrence of the word without reading the context.
Common mistakes
- Do not insist that every Anfrage must be written; telephone inquiries are also possible.
- Do not translate commercial Nachfrage as a follow-up question.
- Use jemandem eine Frage stellen, with a dative person; the question itself is accusative.
Memory aid: A Frage asks; an Anfrage requests information from someone; a Nachfrage asks further or expresses demand. Check the surrounding verbs to identify the intended sense.
Try it
Complete: Die ___ nach diesem Produkt ist höher als erwartet.
Show the answer
Nachfrage
The sentence describes commercial demand. Anfrage would refer to a particular inquiry or request for information.