Definition

1. Verb:
   • To wonder: To think about something with curiosity, doubt, or a desire to know more. It expresses a question or thought in one's own mind.
   • To ask oneself: To pose a question internally, to engage in self-reflection or inquiry.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi tự hỏi khi nào cô ấy sẽ đến. (I wonder when she will arrive.)
  • Anh ấy tự hỏi liệu mình đã quyết định đúng. (He wondered if he had made the right decision.)
  • Chúng tôi tự hỏi về tương lai. (We wondered about the future.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase "tự hỏi" is inherently reflexive, focusing on internal thought. It is often followed by interrogative words like "liệu" (whether), "khi nào" (when), "tại sao" (why), or a clause beginning with "nếu" (if).
  • Cô ấy tự hỏi liệu cuộc sống ở thành phố khác sẽ thế nào. (She wondered what life in a different city would be like.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thắc mắc (v): To question, to have a doubt. This often implies a question that could be asked aloud, while "tự hỏi" is more internal.

  • Học sinh thắc mắc về bài giảng. (The student questioned the lecture.)

• Ngẫm nghĩ (v): To ponder, to contemplate deeply. This suggests more prolonged and profound thought than "tự hỏi."

  • Ông ấy ngẫm nghĩ về ý nghĩa cuộc sống. (He pondered the meaning of life.)

Synonyms

• Wonder: To feel curiosity or doubt.
• Ponder: To think about something carefully.
• Question (oneself): To consider a doubt internally.

Related Idioms

• Tự vấn lương tâm: To examine one's conscience. This is a deeper, more moral form of self-questioning.
  • Trước khi hành động, anh ấy tự vấn lương tâm. (Before acting, he examined his conscience.)