Vraag

Vraag is a Dutch noun meaning "a question" or "an inquiry." It is widely used in everyday speech, education, media, and formal discourse. The noun can be combined with adjectives to specify the type of inquiry, such as open vraag (an open question) and gesloten vraag (a closed question). In many contexts, vraag also appears in the plural as vragen or in compounds like vraagstuk, meaning a problem, issue, or puzzle.

The related verb is vragen, meaning "to ask." Its present tense forms are ik vraag, jij vraagt, hij vraagt, wij vragen, jullie vragen, zij vragen. The past participle is gevraagd, used with have/has: ik heb gevraagd, hij heeft gevraagd. For example, "Ik heb een vraag" means "I have a question," and "Ik heb een vraag gesteld" uses another verb meaning "to pose."

Etymology: The Dutch word is cognate with German Frage and shares a common West Germanic origin with other related words. The spelling and pronunciation reflect regular Dutch phonology.

Afrikaans: In Afrikaans, similar usage exists, with vraag meaning "question" or "to ask" and a closely aligned spelling and pronunciation.

Alternate uses: In formal settings, vraag is used for inquiries in journalism, politics, and research. The term vraagstuk emphasizes a more complex issue.