Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Pedir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Pedir means to ask for, to order, or to request. Present takes e→i stem change (pido, pides, pide). Preterite 3rd person takes the same e→i: pidió, pidieron. Distinct from preguntar (to ask a question).
Pido un café.
I'm ordering a coffee.
What it is
Pedir means to ask for, to order, or to request. Present takes e→i stem change (pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden). Preterite 3rd person takes the same e→i: pidió, pidieron. Crucially distinct from preguntar (to ask a question).
In Pido un café (I'm ordering a coffee), pido is the present yo with e→i. Pedir is for requesting things; preguntar is for asking questions.
How to spot it
Present: pid- in stressed forms. Preterite 3rd person: pid- again. Other tenses regular -ir.
- ¿Qué pides? — What are you ordering / asking for?
- Le pidió ayuda. — She asked him for help.
- Pidieron la cuenta. — They asked for the check.
Pedir something to someone uses indirect object: Le pido a Juan = I ask Juan for it. The le marks who you're asking.
Pedir Conjugation Quick Reference
Pedir at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | pido | pedí | pedía | pediré | pida |
| tú | pides | pediste | pedías | pedirás | pidas |
| él/ella/Ud. | pide | pidió | pedía | pedirá | pida |
| nosotros | pedimos | pedimos | pedíamos | pediremos | pidamos |
| vosotros | pedís | pedisteis | pedíais | pediréis | pidáis |
| ellos/Uds. | piden | pidieron | pedían | pedirán | pidan |
Common Pedir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Pedir covers ordering, requesting, asking for help, and asking for permission:
Ordering at Restaurants
- Pido un café con leche.
- I'll have a coffee with milk.
- ¿Qué van a pedir?
- What are you going to order?
- Pidió pizza.
- He ordered pizza.
Pedir is the default verb for ordering food and drinks at restaurants, bars, cafés.
Requesting Things / Help
- Te pido un favor.
- I'm asking you a favor.
- Pidió un préstamo.
- He asked for a loan.
- Pedimos ayuda.
- We asked for help.
Common pairings: pedir un favor (ask a favor), pedir ayuda (ask for help), pedir un préstamo (ask for a loan).
Asking for Permission
- Pidió permiso para salir.
- She asked for permission to leave.
- Te pido perdón.
- I ask your forgiveness.
- Pidamos un descuento.
- Let's ask for a discount.
Pedir permiso (ask for permission), pedir perdón (apologize / ask forgiveness), pedir disculpas (apologize formally).
Subjunctive Triggers
- Te pido que vengas.
- I'm asking you to come.
- Pidió que esperáramos.
- He asked us to wait.
- Piden que no fumes.
- They ask that you not smoke.
Pedir que + different subject triggers subjunctive in the second clause.
How to Conjugate Pedir Across Tenses
Present, E→I Stem Change
Yo / tú / él / ellos: pido, pides, pide, piden. Nosotros / vosotros: pedimos, pedís (no change).
Yo pido, tú pides, él pide, nosotros pedimos, vosotros pedís, ellos piden.
I ask for, you ask for, he asks for, we ask for, you all ask for, they ask for.
Same e→i pattern as servir (sirvo), repetir (repito), seguir (sigo), conseguir (consigo).
Preterite, E→I in 3rd Person Only
Yo / tú / nosotros / vosotros regular: pedí, pediste, pedimos, pedisteis. 3rd person sing/plural take e→i: pidió, pidieron.
Yo pedí pollo. Él pidió pescado.
I ordered chicken. He ordered fish.
Same dual-stem pattern as preferir (prefirió), sentir (sintió). But pedir is e→i in both present and preterite (not e→ie).
Imperfect / Future, Regular
Imperfect: pedía, pedías, pedía, pedíamos, pedíais, pedían. Future: pediré, pedirás. Both regular -ir.
Siempre pedía lo mismo. Pediré la cuenta.
She always used to order the same thing. I'll ask for the check.
Stem changes only show in present and 3rd-person preterite.
Subjunctive, E→I Throughout
Present subjunctive: pida, pidas, pida, pidamos, pidáis, pidan. E→i in every form, including nosotros / vosotros.
Quiero que pidas el menú.
I want you to ask for the menu.
Pure e→i -ir verbs (pedir, servir, repetir) shift e→i in every subjunctive form, unlike e→ie -ir verbs which keep e in nosotros / vosotros.
Common Mistakes with Pedir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo pedo un café. — I'm ordering a coffee. (wrong, present takes e→i)
Correct: Yo pido un café. — I'm ordering a coffee.
Pedir takes e→i in yo / tú / él / ellos. Pido, not pedo.
Incorrect: Le pregunté un favor. — I asked him a favor. (wrong, favor = pedir, not preguntar)
Correct: Le pedí un favor. — I asked him a favor.
Pedir = ask for something / request. Preguntar = ask a question (information). A favor is something you request, so pedir.
Incorrect: Él pedió pizza. — He ordered pizza. (wrong, 3rd person preterite takes e→i)
Correct: Él pidió pizza. — He ordered pizza.
Pedir's preterite shifts e→i in 3rd person singular and plural: pidió, pidieron.
Pedir Across Every Tense
Pure e→i -ir verb. Stem change in present (all stressed forms), 3rd person preterite, and every subjunctive form.
Present (E→I)
Pid- in stressed forms.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same family: servir (sirvo), repetir (repito), seguir (sigo).
Preterite (E→I in 3rd Person)
3rd person sing/plural change to pid-.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same 3rd-person pattern as prefirió, sirvió, mintió.
Imperfect (Regular)
Fully regular -ir imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Siempre pedía pizza = He always used to order pizza.
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional regular. Subjunctive e→i in every form.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| nosotros (present subjunctive) |
Past participle pedido is regular.
Pedir Conjugation FAQs
- What does pedir mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Pedir means to ask for, to order, or to request. Used for ordering food (Pido un café), requesting things (Pido un favor), asking for permission (Pido permiso), and apologizing (Pido perdón). Distinct from preguntar.
- How does pedir conjugate in the present tense?
- Pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden. Takes e→i stem change in yo / tú / él / ellos. Nosotros / vosotros keep the e.
- What's the preterite of pedir?
- Pedí, pediste, pidió, pedimos, pedisteis, pidieron. 3rd person singular and plural shift e→i (pidió, pidieron). Other forms are regular.
- What's the difference between pedir and preguntar?
- Pedir = ask for / request something tangible or a favor (Pido un café, Le pido ayuda). Preguntar = ask a question / inquire (Le pregunto la hora, Pregunto cómo se llama). Mixing them is one of the most common Spanish learner errors.
- How can I get better at conjugating pedir?
- Pedir is everyday vocabulary, ordering food, asking favors, requesting things. Exposure to pido / pides / pidió in real contexts is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature pedir constantly.