to ask after
9
3.3
- phrasal verb
- /æsk ˈæftər/
- UK
:
preguntar por
- Whenever I see him, he asks after your health and well-being.
- asks after my wife
- asks after their health
- asked after his mother
Examples
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Matter of fact, he's been asking after you.
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Lots of people ask after her.
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Steve and Rich have been asking after you.
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Oh, and your friends have been asking after you.
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May I tell the director that you asked after him?
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Several people asked after you.
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Mrs Parker asked after you again this morning.
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We were on our way to Longbourn to ask after your health.
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Mr. Peterson has been asking after you.
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He always asks after you.
Synonyms
202
2.7
To contact someone briefly to see how they are
107
3.0
To ask someone for information about something
Antonyms
How Concerned
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'ask' clearly means 'to put a question', the particle 'after' does not routinely mean 'about' in isolation, so the specific sense 'inquire about someone's health or circumstances' depends on phrasal-verb usage rather than straightforward composition. The relation is partially inferable (you can see an information-seeking act directed toward someone), but the shift of 'after' to mean 'about/concerning' is somewhat idiomatic and may not be predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
The phrasal verb ask after comes from the idea of sending someone to go after a person to ask about them. That's why today ask after means 'to inquire about' someone's health or situation.