How to Say ‘May I ask you a question?’ in German
Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen?
darf ikh EE-nen EYE-nuh FRAH-guh SHTELL-en
[darf ikh EE-nen EYE-nuh FRAH-guh SHTELL-en]
🇩🇪 In Germany: This is polite and slightly formal, so it fits well at a networking event when you want to sound respectful. It can feel smoother than jumping straight into your question.
Phrase Breakdown
Darf ich
darf ikh
May I
Polite way to ask for permission or to begin a question.
Darf ich kurz helfen?
May I help briefly?
Words in this phrase
Darf
[darf]
may / am allowed to
Used politely to ask permission before speaking.
Im Gespräch beginne ich mit: Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen?
In conversation I begin with: May I ask you a question?
ich
[ikh]
I
The subject pronoun in a polite permission question.
Bei neuen Kontakten frage ich: Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen?
With new contacts I ask: May I ask you a question?
Ihnen
[EE-nen]
you (formal, dative)
Used for respectful address in business contexts.
Auf der Messe sage ich höflich: Darf ich Ihnen eine Frage stellen?
At the fair I politely say: May I ask you a question?
Eine Frage
EYE-nuh FRAH-guh
a question
The object of the sentence: you want to ask a question.
Ich habe eine Frage.
I have a question.
Words in this phrase
eine
[EYE-nuh]
a
The feminine accusative article before 'Frage.'
Ich möchte Ihnen eine Frage zur Arbeitskultur stellen.
I would like to ask you a question about work culture.
Frage
[FRAH-guh]
question
A request for information, often used politely in networking.
Meine Frage ist: Wie würden Sie die Kultur beschreiben?
My question is: How would you describe the culture?
stellen
[SHTELL-en]
to ask / to put
With 'Frage,' this verb means 'to ask a question.'
Im Interview möchte ich eine Frage stellen.
In the interview I would like to ask a question.
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