juntosPedir vs preguntar: two Spanish verbs for one English ask
¿Te puedo preguntar un favor? gets understood, and it still marks you as translating. Favours are asked for, so they take pedir.
English uses ask for two different things, and Spanish splits them. Preguntar is asking for information, a question with an answer: le pregunté la hora (I asked him the time), pregúntale dónde vive. Pedir is asking for something you want someone to give or do: pedir un favor, pedir ayuda, pedir la cuenta. At a restaurant, pedir simply means to order: ¿ya pidieron? (have you ordered?).
A quick test: if the answer is information, use preguntar; if the answer is a thing or an action, use pedir. Le pregunté si tenía cambio (I asked whether he had change) is a question. Le pedí cambio (I asked him for change) wants the coins. Watch the stem, too: pedir becomes pido, pides, pide in the present and pidió in the past.
The same split explains another classic: preguntar una pregunta. Spanish says hacer una pregunta: ¿puedo hacer una pregunta? More natural still in conversation is ¿te puedo preguntar algo? And preguntar por someone means to ask after them: tu mamá preguntó por ti (your mum was asking about you). For the favour itself, ¿me haces un favor? is how most people say it.
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Also worth knowing
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Te puedo preguntar algo? | Can I ask you something? |
| ¿Me haces un favor? | Can you do me a favour? |
| Ya pedimos, gracias. | We've already ordered, thanks. |
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What is the difference between pedir and preguntar?
Preguntar is asking for information: a question with an answer. Pedir is asking for something or asking someone to do something: a favour, help, the bill, food.
Is it preguntar una pregunta or hacer una pregunta?
Hacer una pregunta: ¿puedo hacer una pregunta? Preguntar una pregunta sounds like asking a question a question. In conversation, ¿te puedo preguntar algo? is the most natural choice.
How do you say ask for help in Spanish?
Pedir ayuda. To ask someone directly: ¿me puedes ayudar? or, more politely, ¿me podría ayudar?
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