The preterite of pedir is used to express when someone asked for or requested something at a specific moment in the past. For example, “I asked for the check” – “Pedí la cuenta.”
This verb follows the e to i stem-changing pattern in the preterite, but only in the third person forms. The ‘e’ changes to ‘i’ in pidió and pidieron, while other forms maintain the ‘e’.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Pedir (to ask for/request) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | pedí |
| Tú | pediste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | pidió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | pedimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | pedisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | pidieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Pedir (to ask for/request) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Pedir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of pedir expresses completed actions of asking for or requesting.
To ask for/request: Used for making specific requests, for example Pedí un café (I ordered a coffee), or Pidieron ayuda (They asked for help).
To order (food/items): Refers to ordering in restaurants or shops, for example Pidió la cuenta (He asked for the bill).
Examples
Examples of Pedir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Pedí un café con leche. (I ordered a coffee with milk.)
¿Qué pediste para cenar? (What did you order for dinner?)
Pidió permiso para salir temprano. (He/she asked for permission to leave early.)
Pedimos un taxi al aeropuerto. (We called for a taxi to the airport.)
Los niños pidieron helado. (The children asked for ice cream.)
Me pidió ayuda con la tarea. (He/she asked me for help with homework.)
¿Le pediste disculpas? (Did you apologize to him/her?)
Pidió un aumento de sueldo. (He/she asked for a raise.)
Pedimos la cuenta al camarero. (We asked the waiter for the check.)
Pidieron más tiempo para el proyecto. (They asked for more time for the project.)
Pedí prestado un libro en la biblioteca. (I borrowed a book from the library.)
¿Pediste direcciones al hotel? (Did you ask for directions to the hotel?)
Pidió un deseo al ver una estrella fugaz. (He/she made a wish upon seeing a shooting star.)
Pedimos una pizza para compartir. (We ordered a pizza to share.)
Pidieron silencio durante la película. (They asked for silence during the movie.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Pedir (to ask for/request) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo pedí | I asked for |
| Tú pediste | You asked for |
| Él / Ella / Usted pidió | He / She / You (formal) asked for |
| Nosotros / Nosotras pedimos | We asked for |
| Vosotros / Vosotras pedisteis | You all asked for |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes pidieron | They / You all (formal) asked for |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.