In this lesson
One "ask", two verbs
In English you ask for a coffee and you ask the price. Same verb. In Spanish those are two different verbs, and you can't swap them:
| Means | You want… | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| pedir | to ask for, to order, to request | to get something: a thing, help, a favor | Pido un café. |
| preguntar | to ask (a question) | information: an answer | Pregunto el precio. |
The test: Do you want to receive something, or do you want to know something? Receive → pedir. Know → preguntar.
Pedir: to ask for, to order
Pedir is a boot verb from the stem-changing class: e → i, and nosotros stays outside the boot.
| Person | pedir |
|---|---|
| yo | pido |
| tú | pides |
| él / ella / usted | pide |
| nosotros | pedimos |
| ellos / ustedes | piden |
Pedir
- Siempre pido café.I always order coffee.
- ¿Qué vas a pedir?What are you going to order?
- Mi hija pide ayuda.My daughter asks for help.
- Pedimos la cuenta.We ask for the check.
- Ellos piden un favor.They ask for a favor.
Notice there's no "for" after pedir: pido ayuda is "I ask for help". The "for" is already inside the verb.
Preguntar: to ask a question
Preguntar is a regular -ar verb, like the ones in the -ar verbs class:
| Person | preguntar |
|---|---|
| yo | pregunto |
| tú | preguntas |
| él / ella / usted | pregunta |
| nosotros | preguntamos |
| ellos / ustedes | preguntan |
Preguntar
- Pregunto el precio.I ask the price.
- ¿Por qué preguntas?Why do you ask?
- El profe pregunta mucho.The teacher asks a lot of questions.
- Preguntamos la dirección.We ask for the address.
- Ellos preguntan a qué hora abren.They ask what time they open.
Careful with that one: "ask for the address" in English, but you want information, so it's preguntar.
✍️ Quick check
0/3
1.En el restaurante, yo ___ unos tacos. (I order some tacos.)
2.Ella ___ dónde está el baño. (She asks where the bathroom is.)
3.Nosotros ___ ayuda. (We ask for help.)
The tricky ones
Some English "ask for" phrases are really asking for information:
| English | Spanish | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ask for the check | pedir la cuenta | you want to receive it |
| ask for the price | preguntar el precio | you want to know it |
| ask for the time | preguntar la hora | you want to know it |
| ask for help | pedir ayuda | you want to receive it |
| ask for directions | preguntar cómo llegar | you want to know the way |
| ask for a favor | pedir un favor | you want someone to do it |
Common mistakes
✗Pregunto un café.
✓Pido un café.
You want to get a coffee: pedir.
✗Pido cuánto cuesta.
✓Pregunto cuánto cuesta.
You want to know the price: preguntar.
✗Pido por ayuda.
✓Pido ayuda.
No por: the "for" is already in pedir.
✗Quiero preguntar una pregunta.
✓Quiero hacer una pregunta.
"Ask a question" is hacer una pregunta.
✗Nosotros pidimos la cuenta.
✓Nosotros pedimos la cuenta.
Nosotros is outside the boot: no change.
✗Yo pedo un taco.
✓Yo pido un taco.
e → i. (And remember what pedo means in Mexico.)
Put it together
Here's the sentence from class:
Pido un café y pregunto el precio.
- pido: you want to receive a coffee, pedir, e → i
- pregunto: you want to know the price, preguntar
And now at a market stand, with everybody asking something:
Buenos días. ¿Me da un café de olla, por favor?
Good morning. Can I have a café de olla, please?
Claro. ¿Algo más?
Sure. Anything else?
¿Cuánto cuestan los tamales?
How much are the tamales?
Veinte pesos. Mucha gente pregunta por los de rajas.
Twenty pesos. A lot of people ask about the ones with peppers.
Mis amigos siempre piden de rajas. Entonces, dos de rajas.
My friends always order the pepper ones. So, two with peppers.
¿Algo de tomar para ellos?
Something to drink for them?
Un momento, les pregunto. ¿Puedo hacer una pregunta? ¿Aceptan tarjeta?
One moment, I'll ask them. Can I ask a question? Do you take cards?
No, solo efectivo. Perdón.
No, cash only. Sorry.
Tamales de rajas are filled with strips of poblano pepper and cheese.
Now make it yours: say three things you usually pedir (at a café, at work, from a friend) and three things you usually preguntar (to a teacher, at a store, to a stranger).
Test yourself
✍️ Six quick questions
0/6
1.Ellos ___ una pizza los viernes. (They order a pizza on Fridays.)
2.¿Tú ___ la hora? (Are you asking the time?)
3."Can I ask a question?"
4.Ustedes ___ perdón. (You all apologize.)
5.Usted ___ cómo llegar al museo. (You ask how to get to the museum.)
6.Nosotros ___ un favor. (We ask for a favor.)
All the forms
Pedir and preguntar: the full chart
| yo | tú | él / ella / usted | nosotros | ellos / ustedes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pedir | pido | pides | pide | pedimos | piden |
| preguntar | pregunto | preguntas | pregunta | preguntamos | preguntan |
Pedir + what you want to get: pedir un café, ayuda, la cuenta, un favor, perdón.
Preguntar + what you want to know: preguntar el precio, la hora, dónde, cómo, por qué. A question is hacer una pregunta.