Spanish Verbs That Mean To Ask

Spanish has several verbs that can be used to translate to ask. They are not all interchangeable, and there are subtle differences in meaning and usage among them. One reason there are several verbs for ask is that ask has several meanings. We use ask, for example, both when seeking information and when making requests, but Spanish sees those two acts as different. The most common verbs for ask are preguntar and pedir; in general, preguntar is used for asking about something, while pedir is used when asking for something. Preguntar Preguntar is the verb used most commonly to mean to ask a question or to ask about something. It is often followed by the preposition por to indicate the subject of the inquiry: Preguntà ³ por la situacià ³n legal de su hermano. (He asked about his brothers legal situation.)Pablo preguntaba por ti. (Pablo was asking about you.)Ayer me preguntaban por el significado de la etiqueta #metoo. (Yesterday they were asking me about the meaning of the hashtag #metoo.) For ask whether or ask if, the conjunction si can be used following preguntar. Preguntà © si habà ­a estudiado la leccià ³n. (I asked if she had studied the lesson.)Me preguntaron si me interesaba viajar a Guadalajara. (They asked me if I was interested in traveling to Guadalajara.)Muchas veces me pregunto si esto es necesario. (I often ask myself whether this is necessary.) Preguntar is the verb used most often to indicate simply that a person had asked a question. —  ¿En quà © pà ¡gina està ¡ à ©l? — preguntà ³ Juana. (What page is it on? Juana asked.)Para quà © quieres saber? preguntà ³ mi madre. (Why do you want to know? my mother asked.) Pedir Pedir is usually used to indicate a direct request. Like the English verb to request, it does not have to be followed by a preposition. Pidià ³ un coche azul. (She asked for a blue car.)Sà ³lo pedà ­ que repararan el techo. (I only asked them to repair the roof.) ¿Te pidià ³ dinero? (Did she ask you for money?) Note that pedir is conjugated irregularly. As in the first and third examples above, the e of the stem sometimes changes to i. Rogar Rogar can mean to formally ask or to make a formal request. It can also be a way of saying that someone is asking intensely, such as by begging or pleading. And depending on the context, it can also mean to beg or to pray. Le rogamos que indique los nà ºmeros de telà ©fono completos. (We ask that you indicate the complete telephone number.)Se ruegan los clientes que tomen las precauciones oportunas para salvaguardar sus pertenencias. (Customers are asked to take appropriate precautions in order to protect their belongings.)Te ruego que tengas piedad con mi madre. (I beg you to have pity on my mother.)Fueron a la iglesia para rogar. (They went to the church to pray.) Rogar is conjugated irregularly. The o of the stem changes to ue when stressed, and the g of the stem changes to gu when it is followed by an e. Invitar Invitar can be used when asking someone to do something or go somewhere, much like the English cognate invite. Nunca he invitado a nadie a postear en mi blog. (I never have asked anyone to post on my blog.)Te invito a mi casa. (I am asking you to my house.)Me invitaban a unirme a su grupo de apoyo. (They are asking me to join their support group.) Solicitar Solicitar can be used in much the same way as pedir, although it is less common and is most likely to be used with certain types of requests, such as for information, or in legal or business contexts. Solicitan amnistà ­a para ex presidente. (They are asking for amnesty for the former president.)Solicitaron sus opiniones profesionales sobre el proyecto. (They are asking for his professional opinions about the project.)La propietaria solicità ³ que mi amigo presente su historia laboral completa. (The owner asked my friend to provide his complete employment history.) Key Takeaways The most common Spanish verbs meaning to ask are preguntar and pedir.Preguntar is usually used when seeking information, while pedir is used when asking for action.Other verbs used in specific circumstances for ask include rogar, invitar, and solicitar.