pedirle
“pedirle” means “to ask him/her for” in Spanish (to make a request to a specific person).
to ask him/her for, to request from him/her/you (formal)Also: to order from him/her
📝 In Action
Necesito pedirle un favor muy grande a mi jefe.
A2I need to ask my boss for a very big favor.
Antes de irte, debes pedirle la llave a María.
B1Before you leave, you should ask María for the key.
No sé qué pedirle para su cumpleaños.
A2I don't know what to ask him/her for his/her birthday.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pedirle
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'pedirle' to mean 'to ask her for help'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The verb 'pedir' comes from the Latin verb *petere*, meaning 'to seek, to aim at, or to request.' The pronoun 'le' comes from the Latin *illi*, meaning 'to him/her'. The word is literally 'to request to him/her.'
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 10th-12th centuries)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'pedir' change to 'pid' in some forms?
This is a common irregularity for 'e' verbs in Spanish! In the present tense (like 'yo pido' or 'ellos piden'), the 'e' in the stem changes to an 'i'. It happens in most forms except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms, which stay regular.
Can I separate 'pedir' and 'le'?
Yes! When you use 'pedirle' with another conjugated verb (like 'Voy a pedirle'), you can always move the 'le' before the conjugated verb: 'Le voy a pedir'. When using it as a command or alone, the pronoun must stay attached ('Pídele' or 'Pedirle').