The Present Tense of pedir is used to describe actions happening at the present moment or habitual actions. For example, Pido un café, por favor. (I ask for a coffee, please.)

Pedir is an e to i stem-changing verb, meaning the e in the stem changes to i in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Pedir (to ask for) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Pedir generally means to ask for or request something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To ask for or request: This is the most common meaning. For example, Yo pido un café, por favor. (I ask for a coffee, please.)

To order (food/drinks): For example, Nosotros pedimos dos cervezas. (We order two beers.)

To beg or plead: For example, Ella le pide a su madre que la deje salir. (She begs her mother to let her go out.)

To demand or claim: For example, Los manifestantes piden la renuncia del presidente. (The protesters demand the president’s resignation.)

Colloquial usage: In some regions, pedir can be used informally to mean “to want” or “to desire” something, often with a sexual connotation. For example, ¿Qué pides, guapa? (What do you want, beautiful?) However, this usage can be considered rude or inappropriate in some contexts.

Examples

Examples of Pedir in the Present Tense

Cuando voy a un restaurante, pido la especialidad de la casa. (When I go to a restaurant, I order the house specialty.)

Mis amigos piden una pizza para compartir después de la escuela. (My friends order a pizza to share after school.)

¿Qué pides de tomar con tu comida? (What do you order to drink with your meal?)

En la reunión, pedimos más información sobre el nuevo proyecto. (In the meeting, we request more information about the new project.)

Cuando estoy en el extranjero, pido recomendaciones de lugares para visitar. (When I’m abroad, I ask for recommendations of places to visit.)

Los niños piden permiso antes de salir a jugar. (The children ask for permission before going out to play.)

En la tienda, pides ayuda al vendedor para encontrar lo que buscas. (In the store, you ask the salesperson for help to find what you’re looking for.)

Mis padres piden que les ayude con las tareas del hogar. (My parents ask me to help with household chores.)

Cuando estoy confundido, pido aclaraciones para entender mejor. (When I’m confused, I ask for clarification to understand better.)

En la oficina, pedimos instrucciones detalladas para completar el proyecto. (At the office, we request detailed instructions to complete the project.)

Los fans piden un bis al final del concierto. (The fans ask for an encore at the end of the concert.)

Cuando estoy en un restaurante nuevo, pido recomendaciones al mesero sobre los platillos populares. (When I’m at a new restaurant, I ask the waiter for recommendations on popular dishes.)

En la biblioteca, pedís libros de referencia para hacer una investigación. (At the library, you request reference books to do research.)

Mis compañeros de trabajo piden un aumento de sueldo después de un año de buen desempeño. (My coworkers ask for a raise after a year of good performance.)

Cuando estoy perdido, pido indicaciones para encontrar el camino correcto. (When I’m lost, I ask for directions to find the right way.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Pedir (to ask for) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.