Gretchenfrage

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German

Etymology

From Gretchen (diminutive of Grete = Margarete) +‎ Frage (“question”). Refers to Goethe's Faust (published 1808), where the character of Gretchen asks the protagonist, who is secretly in league with the devil: Nun sag, wie hast du's mit der Religion? (“Now say, what is your stance on religion? ≈ what's the role of religion in your life?”). The expression of Gretchenfrage was coined in the mid-19th century (attested 1865 in Löwe , Schlesische Provinzialblätter, issue 1168, p. 147).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɡʁeːtçənˌfʁaːɡə/
  • Audio (Berlin):(file)
  • Audio (Austria):(file)

Noun

Gretchenfrage f (genitive Gretchenfrage, plural Gretchenfragen)

  1. a question as to the addressee's religiosity or belief in God
  2. a question that goes to the core of an issue, especially by exposing fundamental conflicts
  3. a crucial question that is difficult or unpleasant to answer truthfully

Declension

Declension of Gretchenfrage
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative eine die Gretchenfrage die Gretchenfragen
genitive einer der Gretchenfrage der Gretchenfragen
dative einer der Gretchenfrage den Gretchenfragen
accusative eine die Gretchenfrage die Gretchenfragen

Further reading

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