ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wondering

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈwəndɝɪŋ// UK //wˈʌndəɹɪŋ// won·der·ing

v. thinking about something because you are curious or want to know more. You use this when you are asking yourself a question or considering a possibility.

v. the present participle of 'wonder', expressing curiosity or a desire to be informed about something. Often functions as a polite opening for a request or inquiry.


SIMPLE

I was wondering if you have any free time today.

CONTEXTUAL

She spent the whole afternoon wondering whether she had made the right decision about the job offer.

COMPLEX

While staring at the ancient ruins, the tourists found themselves wondering how such massive stones could have been transported across the desert without modern machinery.

Synonyms
Usage

Often used in the continuous form ('I am wondering') to make a request or question sound more polite and less direct.

Pitfall

I am wondering about what is his name.I am wondering what his name is.When 'wondering' introduces an indirect question, the word order must be subject-verb, not verb-subject.

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