Gretchenfrage

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 [ed.], Schlesische Provinzialblätter, issue 1168, p. 147).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡʁeːtçənˌfʁaːɡə/

• Audio (Berlin):

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• Audio (Austria):

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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 [feminine]

	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

• “Gretchenfrage” in Duden online