The Subjunctive Mood of Pedir is used to express desires, doubts, or uncertainty about requesting or asking for something, for example: Espero que pidas ayuda. (I hope you ask for help.)

Pedir is an e to i stem-changing verb, meaning the e in the verb stem changes to i in certain conjugations of the present subjunctive.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Pedir (to ask for) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

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

To request: For example, Que pida el mesero que le traigan la cuenta (That the waiter requests that they bring him the bill).

To order (at a restaurant): For example, Es importante que pidas lo que quieras comer (It’s important that you order what you want to eat).

To ask for (a favor): For example, Te pido que me ayudes con la mudanza (I ask you that you help me with the move).

To beg: For example, Le pedí que me perdonara por llegar tarde (I begged him to forgive me for arriving late).

To demand (rudely): For example, ¡Que pidas disculpas ahora mismo! (That you demand an apology right now!).

To call for (require): For example, La situación pide que actuemos con cautela (The situation calls for us to act with caution).

Examples

Examples of Pedir in the Subjunctive Mood

Espero que pidas un aumento de sueldo este año. (I hope you ask for a raise this year.)

Es importante que pidas permiso antes de salir de la oficina. (It’s important that you ask for permission before leaving the office.)

Quiero que pidas la cuenta cuando termines de comer. (I want you to ask for the bill when you finish eating.)

Ojalá que pidan más fondos para el programa de becas. (I hope they ask for more funds for the scholarship program.)

Sugiero que pidamos una mesa cerca de la ventana. (I suggest we ask for a table near the window.)

Es necesario que pidas instrucciones claras antes de comenzar. (It’s necessary that you ask for clear instructions before starting.)

Tal vez pidan un intérprete para la reunión. (Maybe they’ll ask for an interpreter for the meeting.)

Insisto en que pidáis un presupuesto por escrito. (I insist that you ask for a written estimate.)

Dudo que pida un aumento tan pronto. (I doubt he’ll ask for a raise so soon.)

¿Crees que pidan una extensión del plazo? (Do you think they’ll ask for an extension on the deadline?)

Preferiría que pidieras ayuda en lugar de hacer todo solo. (I’d prefer that you ask for help instead of doing everything alone.)

Es una lástima que no pidan más opiniones de los empleados. (It’s a shame they don’t ask for more input from employees.)

Aunque pidas un día libre, es poco probable que te lo concedan. (Even if you ask for a day off, it’s unlikely they’ll grant it.)

Sería bueno que pidamos una habitación con vista al mar. (It would be nice if we asked for a room with an ocean view.)

Me temo que pidan demasiado por ese servicio. (I’m afraid they’ll ask too much for that service.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.