Pedir and Preguntar: Requests and Questions in Spanish

English often uses the verb “ask” for two different purposes. Spanish normally separates these meanings with and .

Pedir means to ask for or request

Use when you want to receive a thing or ask someone to do something.

— I ask for water.
— I order / ask for a coffee.
— I ask for help.

Present tense of pedir

Subject	Spanish	English
		I ask for / request
		you ask for / request
/ /		he / she asks for; you request
/		we ask for / request
/		you all ask for / request
/ /		they / you all ask for / request

Preguntar means to ask a question

Use when you want information.

— I ask the time.
— I ask the price.
— I ask for an address / directions as information.

Present tense of preguntar

Subject	Spanish	English
		I ask a question
		you ask a question
/ /		he / she asks; you ask
/		we ask
/		you all ask
/ /		they / you all ask

Thing or service versus information

Purpose	Verb	Example
receive something		— I ask for a ticket.
receive help		— I ask for help.
obtain information		— I ask the time.
ask a question		— I ask the price.

Pedir + noun

A simple everyday pattern is + the thing requested.

— I order a coffee.
— You ask for a ticket.
— We ask for help.

Preguntar por

Use por when you ask about a person, place, or topic.

— I ask about / ask for information about Ana.
— I ask about the station.
— I ask about the schedule.

Preguntar a una persona

Use a + person when you identify the person who receives your question.

— I ask the teacher.
— I ask Ana.

Do not choose from the English word alone

Ask yourself what the goal is.

— I want water. I ask for water.

— I do not know the time. I ask the time.

Café situation

Person A: — What are you ordering?

Person B: — I order a coffee and water.

Travel situation

Person A: — What are you asking?

Person B: — I ask about the platform.

A practical choice method

If you want a thing, service, or action, choose .
If you want information, choose .
Use + noun for many everyday requests.
Use por for a person, place, or topic.
Use a when you identify the person you ask.

From Asking to Knowing

You can now distinguish for requesting something from for asking for information. The next lesson distinguishes saber and conocer, two common Spanish verbs for different kinds of knowing.