demander
/də.mɑ̃.de/
Definition
To ask for something or to request information from someone.
Example
Elle demande l'addition au serveur.
Show translation
She asks the waiter for the bill.
Etymology
From Old French *demander*, from Latin *demandare* ("to entrust, hand over"), composed of *de-* (intensive prefix) + *mandare* ("to order, commit to one's charge"). The Latin sense of "entrusting a command" gradually narrowed in French to simply "asking" — a semantic softening that also gave English the related word *demand*, which retains a stronger, more insistent tone.
Cultural note
⚠️ False friend alert: English *demand* sounds forceful, but French *demander* is completely neutral and polite — it is the everyday word for "to ask." Saying "Je demande un café" is perfectly courteous. The truly forceful equivalent in French would be *exiger* ("to demand/insist on").