pidió
pee-dee-OH
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Ella pidió un café con leche.
A1She ordered a coffee with milk.
El niño le pidió un juguete a su mamá.
A2The boy asked his mom for a toy.
El jefe pidió el informe para el lunes.
B1The boss asked for the report for Monday.
Disculpe, ¿usted me pidió la hora?
B1Excuse me, did you (formal) ask me for the time?
💡 Grammar Points
Who Did It?
'Pidió' is a past-tense form that tells you the action was done by 'he,' 'she,' or 'you' (when speaking formally to one person, as 'usted').
A Specific Past Moment
This form, called the preterite, is used for actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it like a snapshot: 'Ayer, él pidió ayuda.' (Yesterday, he asked for help.)
The Vowel Change
The base verb is 'pedir'. Notice how the 'e' changes to an 'i' in 'pidió'. This little change is a key feature of this irregular verb in the past tense.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Asking For Things vs. Asking Questions
Mistake: "To say 'He asked for a coffee,' a learner might say: 'Él preguntó un café.'"
Correction: The correct way is: 'Él pidió un café.' Use 'pedir' when you want to get an object or a service. Use 'preguntar' when you want to get information (ask a question), like 'Él preguntó qué hora era' (He asked what time it was).
⭐ Usage Tips
In a Restaurant
'Pidió' is the most natural and common way to say someone 'ordered' food or drinks. While 'ordenó' is also correct, 'pidió' is what you'll hear most often among native speakers.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: pidió
Question 1 of 1
Your friend is telling you what happened at a restaurant yesterday. Which sentence is correct?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the 'e' in 'pedir' change to an 'i' in 'pidió'?
'Pedir' is an irregular verb. In the past tense (preterite), the 'e' in its stem changes to an 'i' for the 'he/she/you (formal)' and 'they/you all' forms. It's a spelling change that helps maintain the sound of the word. You just have to memorize this pattern for verbs like 'pedir', 'servir' (sirvió), and 'repetir' (repitió).
Can I use 'ordenó' instead of 'pidió' when talking about ordering food?
Yes, you can. 'Él ordenó una hamburguesa' is perfectly correct and everyone will understand you. However, in everyday, casual conversation, 'pidió' is much more common and sounds more natural.