pedir Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
pedir — to ask for
The imperfect subjunctive of pedir uses the stem 'pidie-': pidiera, pidieras, pidiera...
pedir Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this for past-tense wishes or 'if' clauses (e.g., 'If I asked for money, they would say no').
Notes on pedir in the Imperfect Subjunctive
This tense is based on the 3rd person plural preterite (pidieron). The stem is 'pidier-' for all people.
Example Sentences
Si yo pidiera un deseo, sería viajar.
If I were to make (ask) a wish, it would be to travel.
yo
Me gustaría que tú pidieras perdón.
I would like you to ask for forgiveness.
tú
Si pidiéramos ayuda, terminaríamos más rápido.
If we asked for help, we would finish faster.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'pederas' instead of 'pidieras'.
Correct: Use pidieras.
Why: Learners forget to use the preterite 'slipper' stem (i) as the base for this tense.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'pedir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: pido
Pedir features an 'e to i' stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Preterite
yo: pedí
Pedir has a third-person stem change (e to i) in the preterite: pidió and pidieron.
Imperfect
yo: pedía
Pedir is regular in the imperfect: pedía, pedías, pedía, pedíamos, pedíais, pedían.
Future
yo: pediré
Pedir is regular in the future; simply add the endings to the infinitive: pediré, pedirás, etc.
Conditional
yo: pediría
The conditional of pedir is regular: pediría, pedirías, pediría, pediríamos, pediríais, pedirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: pida
Pedir changes the stem to 'pid-' for all forms in the present subjunctive.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pide
Use 'pide' for informal commands and 'pida' for formal ones.
Negative Imperative
yo: no pidas
Negative commands for pedir use the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.