The Imperfect Tense of pedir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo pedía una hamburguesa cada viernes. (I used to order a hamburger every Friday.)

Pedir is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

Conjugations

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

The imperfect tense of pedir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To ask for something repeatedly or habitually: Por ejemplo, de niño, siempre pedía dulces a mis padres (As a child, I would always ask my parents for sweets).

To describe an ongoing action in the past: Por ejemplo, te pedía que me esperaras mientras hacía la compra (I was asking you to wait for me while I did the shopping).

To set the scene or describe circumstances: Por ejemplo, el camarero pedía la orden a los clientes (The waiter was taking orders from the customers).

To express a polite request: Por ejemplo, te pedía que me ayudaras con la mudanza (I was asking you to help me with the move).

Colloquially, to beg or plead: Por ejemplo, le pedía que no me dejara (I was begging them not to leave me).

Examples

Examples of Pedir in the Imperfect Tense

Yo pedía un café todas las mañanas. (I used to order a coffee every morning.)

Ellos pedían la cuenta después de terminar la cena. (They would ask for the bill after finishing dinner.)

Cuando éramos niños, pedíamos permiso para salir a jugar. (When we were kids, we would ask for permission to go out and play.)

Mi abuela pedía que la visitáramos más seguido. (My grandmother would ask us to visit her more often.)

En la reunión, pedíamos que se tomaran medidas para mejorar la situación. (In the meeting, we would ask for measures to be taken to improve the situation.)

Vosotros pedíais disculpas cuando llegabais tarde. (You (plural) would apologize when you arrived late.)

Ustedes pedían un descuento cada vez que compraban algo. (You (plural) would ask for a discount every time you bought something.)

Ella pedía ayuda con las tareas de la casa. (She would ask for help with household chores.)

Nosotros pedíamos indicaciones cuando nos perdíamos. (We would ask for directions when we got lost.)

Tú pedías un refresco en lugar de agua. (You would order a soda instead of water.)

Vosotros pedíais que se respetaran vuestros derechos. (You (plural) would ask for your rights to be respected.)

Ellas pedían un aumento de sueldo cada año. (They would ask for a raise every year.)

Yo pedía que me dejaran en paz. (I would ask to be left alone.)

Tú pedías consejo a tus amigos antes de tomar una decisión. (You would ask your friends for advice before making a decision.)

Ustedes pedían que se cumplieran las normas. (You (plural) would ask for the rules to be followed.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.