"They ask for bread."

Translation: De ber om bröd.

[DanHenders1]

Can anyone explain when to use ber (om) and when to use frågar?

[JohannDunn]

I might be wrong, but I think 'frågar' is for asking a question, and 'ber (om)' is for making a request.

[Steph.Ro]

If you used frågar på here, it would mean they have a question about the bread, whereas ber om means they want bread.

[foantell]

I think it might also be acceptable to say 'De frågar efter bröd' ..but I'm not really sure.

[foantell]

Definitely think Ber om is better, but my guess is frågar efter isnt wrong either. A quick Google turned this up: Våga fråga efter en doggy-bag. Which means dare to ask for a doggy bag. My Swedish is not great but I grew up in a Finlands Svenska household and can swear Ive heard this construction used by my parents many times. Very open to being corrected. I should honestly just ask them.

[Joshua118516]

Why not "för" for "om" ? Ber+om sounds too much like "beromd" in a sentance which someone like me would miss hear and think they're honouring bred?

[DanielPoe89]

I dont think so . Since fråga is also a noun (question). Frågar is just used when asking a question

[Matias426045]

I'd say it can be used. For example, the Swedish word for demand (as in economics) is "efterfrågan".

[Peter147810]

de ber att få bröd? de frågar efter bröd?