pida
pee-dah
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Quiero que él pida disculpas por lo que hizo.
B1I want him to ask for forgiveness for what he did.
Es necesario que yo pida el recibo antes de salir.
A2It is necessary that I ask for the receipt before leaving.
Señora, pida lo que quiera, la casa invita.
B1Ma'am, order whatever you want, the house is paying (treating).
💡 Grammar Points
The Subjunctive Form
The form 'pida' is used when talking about wishes, emotions, commands, or uncertainty, usually after a verb of influence (like 'querer que' or 'necesitar que').
Formal Command
'Pida' is the polite way to tell someone (Usted) to ask for or order something: 'Pida el menú' (Order the menu).
The E-to-I Change
The base verb is 'pedir,' but in many forms, the 'e' changes to an 'i' (pida, pido, pidiendo). Watch out for this change in all subjunctive and most present tense forms.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: "Using *pedas* instead of *pidas* (Tú form)."
Correction: Always use the 'i' in the present subjunctive: *pida/pidas/pidamos*. This verb is irregular!
⭐ Usage Tips
Request vs. Ask a Question
Use pedir (and thus pida) only when requesting an item or favor. To ask a question, use preguntar.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pida
Question 1 of 2
Which of these sentences correctly uses 'pida' as a command?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'pida' have an 'i' instead of the 'e' found in the infinitive 'pedir'?
This verb is irregular! In Spanish, certain verbs change their stem vowel in specific forms. *Pedir* changes its 'e' to an 'i' whenever the stress falls on that part of the word (like in *pido*, *pide*, and all of the *pida* forms).
When should I use 'pida' instead of 'pide'?
Use 'pida' when you are expressing a wish or necessity (subjunctive: 'Espero que pida...') or when giving a formal command to 'Usted' ('Pida la comida'). Use 'pide' when stating a fact in the present tense ('Él pide un taxi') or giving an informal command to 'tú' ('¡Pide un taxi!').