A young child politely extending their hands toward a shiny red apple held by an adult's hand.

pediría

peh-dee-REE-ah

verbB1irregular stem-changer ir

would ask for?requesting an object or a favor,would order?requesting food or drinks in a restaurant

Also:would pray for?making a spiritual request,would demand?insisting on a requirement

Quick Reference

gerundpidiendo

past Participlepedido

infinitivepedir

📝 In Action

Yo pediría una pizza si tuviéramos hambre.

I would order a pizza if we were hungry.

Él te pediría ayuda si no fuera tan orgulloso.

He would ask you for help if he wasn't so proud.

Si fuera usted, pediría hablar con el gerente.

If I were you, I would ask to speak with the manager.

Word Connections

Synonyms

solicitaría (would request)
rogaría (would beg/plead)

Antonyms

daría (would give)
ofrecería (would offer)

Common Collocations

pediría perdón – would ask for forgiveness
pediría un deseo – would make a wish
pediría la cuenta – would ask for the bill

Idioms & Expressions

pedir peras al olmo – to ask for the impossible

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Would' Form

This word is the conditional form of 'pedir'. It is used to express what you would do in a certain situation or to be extra polite when requesting something.

Double Subject

In Spanish, 'pediría' can mean both 'I would ask' and 'He/She/It/You (formal) would ask.' You usually know who is being talked about based on the context of the conversation.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Pedir vs. Preguntar

Mistake: "Using 'pediría' to ask a question for information."

Correction: Use 'preguntar' for questions and 'pedir' for requests. Say 'Le preguntaría la hora' (I would ask him the time) but 'Le pediría un favor' (I would ask him for a favor).

⭐ Usage Tips

Being Polite

If you are in a restaurant or store, using 'pediría' instead of 'quiero' (I want) makes you sound much more polite and sophisticated.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespidieran

yopidiera

túpidieras

vosotrospidierais

nosotrospidiéramos

él/ella/ustedpidiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespidan

yopida

túpidas

vosotrospidáis

nosotrospidamos

él/ella/ustedpida

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedespidieron

yopedí

túpediste

vosotrospedisteis

nosotrospedimos

él/ella/ustedpidió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespedían

yopedía

túpedías

vosotrospedíais

nosotrospedíamos

él/ella/ustedpedía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespiden

yopido

túpides

vosotrospedís

nosotrospedimos

él/ella/ustedpide

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pediría

Question 1 of 2

Which of these is the most polite way to say you want a coffee?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pedir(to ask for/request) - verb

pedido(an order/request) - noun

petición(formal request/petition) - noun

pedigüeño(always asking for things) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'pediría' mean 'I would ask a question'?

No. In Spanish, we use 'preguntar' for asking questions. 'Pedir' and 'pediría' are specifically for asking *for* something, like a gift, a favor, or food.

How do I know if 'pediría' means 'I' or 'He'?

Usually, the speaker will include a pronoun like 'Yo' or 'Él' if it isn't clear from the conversation. If you're talking about yourself, the context usually makes it obvious!