The Imperfect Tense of pedir is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, for example, Yo pedía una pizza cada viernes. (I used to order a pizza 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 (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of pedir is used to describe ongoing, repeated or habitual actions in the past.

Asking for something: Por ejemplo, Yo pedía un refresco cada vez que íbamos al cine. (I used to ask for a soda every time we went to the movies).

Requesting or demanding: Por ejemplo, Mi mamá siempre nos pedía que recogiéramos nuestros cuartos. (My mom always used to ask/demand that we clean our rooms).

Ordering food or drinks: Por ejemplo, En ese restaurante, yo pedía la sopa de lentejas. (At that restaurant, I used to order the lentil soup).

Begging or pleading (informal): Por ejemplo, Le pedía a mi hermano que me prestara su bici. (I used to beg/plead with my brother to lend me his bike).

Examples

Examples of Pedir in the Imperfect Tense

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

Ella pedía disculpas cada vez que llegaba tarde. (She would apologize every time she was late.)

Nosotros pedíamos la cuenta después de terminar la cena. (We would ask for the bill after finishing dinner.)

Ellos pedían ayuda cuando no entendían algo. (They would ask for help when they didn’t understand something.)

Tú pedías un deseo cada vez que veías una estrella fugaz. (You would make a wish every time you saw a shooting star.)

Él pedía permiso antes de salir con sus amigos. (He would ask for permission before going out with his friends.)

Ustedes pedían la cuenta separada en los restaurantes. (You all would ask for separate checks at restaurants.)

Yo pedía un aventón cuando no tenía carro. (I would ask for a ride when I didn’t have a car.)

Ella pedía consejos a su mamá sobre cómo criar a sus hijos. (She would ask her mom for advice on how to raise her kids.)

Nosotros pedíamos descuentos en las tiendas. (We would ask for discounts at stores.)

Ellos pedían direcciones cuando se perdían. (They would ask for directions when they got lost.)

Tú pedías un aumento de sueldo cada año. (You would ask for a raise every year.)

Él pedía un día libre cuando estaba enfermo. (He would ask for a day off when he was sick.)

Ustedes pedían recomendaciones de restaurantes a los lugareños. (You all would ask locals for restaurant recommendations.)

Yo pedía que me trajeran la cuenta cuando terminaba de comer. (I would ask them to bring me the check when I finished eating.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.