"Hun bad ikke om noget."

Translation: She was not asking for anything.

[FyodorPavlovich]

How would one say 'ask about something'?

[mads-elh]

Based on the replies in this thread, I think you're looking for "at spørge om noget". "Jeg vil gerne spørge om noget." - " I would like to ask about something". "Jeg spurgte om de kom" - "I asked if they were coming".

Is this the one?

[FyodorPavlovich]

Det er det, tak. Så vi må skelne mellem bede og spørge.

[Marinia]

"To ask for something" would be "at bede om noget"

[FyodorPavlovich]

Right, and that is the translation for this exercise, but I wish to know how to say "ask about something". I can "ask about leprosy" without "asking for leprosy".

[Marinia]

I assume you mean the imperative then? That would be "bed om noget"

[FyodorPavlovich]

Sorry, I could have been clearer.

I can ask about leprosy, in that I am curious about what this disease is, how common it is, etc, but I wouldn't ask for leprosy, because that means I want to have the disease.

So we know that "bede om noget" = "ask for something", but I would like to know the left hand side of the equality ? = "ask about something".

[Marinia]

I guess it can mean both things since the word om means actually in most cases "about". But maybe a native speaker could clarify this for you :p

[FyodorPavlovich]

It's tricky, eh? Prepositions don't translate exactly.

[NZydGiaV]

"She was not asking for anything" is a slightly awkward way of saying" She did not ask for anything". The latter is not wrong.

[maarten.va1]

Why is "she asked for nothing" wrong?

[epac-mcl]

The difference is between "she asked" and "she did not ask". I am aware that they are regarded as synonymous, but logically, to ask for something (even nothing) is an active action, but to not ask for anything is passive.
It's almost in the same category as the English, "I aint got nothing".