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Is it implicit that when I say 'I'm curious to know (blablabla)', I convey a meaning that I feel it fascinating? For example,

I'm curious to know that you started a company one year ago.

Does this sentence imply that I feel enlightened and feel curious after I realised you started a company?

If this is incorrect, when should I use 'I'm curious to know...'? Could you give an example?

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  • There's no question word in this sentence. Generally it would be: I'm curious to know [if/when/how/why/etc] you started a company one year ago". As it is, it doesn't make sense.
    – Catija
    Commented Aug 3, 2015 at 4:04
  • You mean the sentence does not mean something like 'I feel enlightened when I realised you started a company one year ago'? What would be you interpretation for the sentence 'I'm curious to know that you started a company one year ago.'? (Note: I add a 'that')
    – Rescy_
    Commented Aug 3, 2015 at 4:08
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    Not really. "curious" means you're not aware of something and you want to know more about it. I think maybe you mean "I'm amazed to know..." or "I was amazed to discover".
    – Catija
    Commented Aug 3, 2015 at 4:09
  • @Catija what about this "I am surprised hearing you started the company one year ago"
    – Cardinal
    Commented Aug 3, 2015 at 10:36
  • The sentence as written does not make any sense. I think you are trying to say "I am curious having learned that you started a company one year ago."
    – David42
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 15:15

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"I'm curious to know..." is an indirect way to construct a question. It is used if you want to ask a question without directly asking the listener. It's a slightly awkward phrase; I'd be more likely to say "I would like to know..."

Either way, it is used when you don't expect the listener to know or to volunteer an answer, or when you feel it would be somehow rude to directly question the listener. The latter is discouraged in American English, and is described as "beating around the bush."

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    I would add that a common use-case for this is when one has a very strong suspicion about what the answer actually is, but is "beating around the bush" as you say to force others to hopefully draw the same conclusion without directly making a conclusive statement. "Jeff hated Jim. I'm curious to know where Jeff was the night Jim was killed."
    – user20827
    Commented Aug 3, 2015 at 22:50

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