Pedir or preguntar: to ask for or to ask about
English 'ask' looks in both directions at once: you ask the way and you ask for the bill — one word, two different businesses. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to ask a question, and words are expected back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and an action is expected back. That is why at the restaurant they say pedir la cuenta: the bill is not asked about, it is asked for. For example: “Voy a pedir la…
How it works
English 'ask' looks in both directions at once: you ask the way and you ask for the bill — one word, two different businesses. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to ask a question, and words are expected back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and an action is expected back. That is why at the restaurant they say pedir la cuenta: the bill is not asked about, it is asked for.
The grammar each verb takes is different, too. Pedir takes the thing directly: pedir un café, pedir ayuda, pedir un favor. Preguntar grabs the preposition por when the question is about someone or something: preguntó por ti — he asked about you. And the conjugations diverge: preguntar is even and regular, while pedir breaks its stem in the present — pido, pides, pide, but pedimos.
One meaning of pedir the course already met at the restaurant — 'to order'. It is the same verb and the same action: an order is a request addressed to the waiter. Voy a pedir un café is both 'I will ask for a coffee' and 'I will order a coffee' — no choice between them has to be made.
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 in both directions at once: you ask the way and you ask for the bill — one word, two different businesses. Spanish splits them. Preguntar is to ask a question, and words are expected back. Pedir is to ask for a thing or a service, and an action is expected back. That is why at…
How to ask for the bill in Spanish?
The grammar each verb takes is different, too. Pedir takes the thing directly: pedir un café, pedir ayuda, pedir un favor. Preguntar grabs the preposition por when the question is about someone or something: preguntó por ti — he asked about you. And the conjugations diverge: preguntar is even and…
When to use preguntar por?
One meaning of pedir the course already met at the restaurant — 'to order'. It is the same verb and the same action: an order is a request addressed to the waiter. Voy a pedir un café is both 'I will ask for a coffee' and 'I will order a coffee' — no choice between them has to be made.
Pedir or preguntar: ask for or ask about?
One meaning of pedir the course already met at the restaurant — 'to order'. It is the same verb and the same action: an order is a request addressed to the waiter. Voy a pedir un café is both 'I will ask for a coffee' and 'I will order a coffee' — no choice between them has to be made.
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.