Pedir or preguntar: to ask for or to ask about
English 'ask' looks both ways: you ask a question and you ask for the bill. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to put a question, and it expects words back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and it expects action. For example: “Voy a pedir la cuenta” — I will ask for the bill. A rule from the Spanish course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English 'ask' looks both ways: you ask a question and you ask for the bill. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to put a question, and it expects words back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and it expects action.
That is why a restaurant calls for pedir la cuenta: the bill is not enquired about, it is requested.
The two verbs are built differently as well. Pedir takes the thing directly: pedir un café, pedir ayuda. Preguntar takes por when you ask about somebody: preguntó por ti. And pedir breaks its stem in the present: pido, pides, pide, but pedimos.
Pedir also covers 'to order'. Voy a pedir un café is both 'I'll ask for a coffee' and 'I'll order one'.
Table
| what you do | the verb | example | what you expect back |
|---|---|---|---|
| you ask a question | preguntar | te pregunto una cosa | words |
| you ask about someone | preguntar por | preguntó por ti | words |
| you ask for a thing | pedir | pido un café | action |
| you ask for a service | pedir | pedir un favor | action |
| you order at a café | pedir | pedir la cuenta | action |
By example
- Voy a pedir la cuentaI will ask for the bill
- Le pregunté dónde estaba la farmaciaI asked him where the pharmacy was
- ¿Puedo pedirte un favor?Can I ask you a favour?
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Pedir vs preguntar?
English 'ask' looks both ways: you ask a question and you ask for the bill. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to put a question, and it expects words back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and it expects action.
How to ask for the bill in Spanish?
That is why a restaurant calls for pedir la cuenta: the bill is not enquired about, it is requested.
When to use preguntar por?
The two verbs are built differently as well. Pedir takes the thing directly: pedir un café, pedir ayuda. Preguntar takes por when you ask about somebody: preguntó por ti. And pedir breaks its stem in the present: pido, pides, pide, but pedimos.
Pedir or preguntar: ask for or ask about?
Pedir also covers 'to order'. Voy a pedir un café is both 'I'll ask for a coffee' and 'I'll order one'.
What does it look like in an example sentence Spanish?
“Voy a pedir la cuenta” — I will ask for the bill. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.