pedir ayuda
/pediɾ aʝuda/from spelling rules
To ask for help in Spanish is to pedir ayuda.
The phrase pedir ayuda is used when you request assistance from someone because you cannot do something on your own.
Which one should you use?
In English, you say 'ask for help' using the preposition 'for', but in Spanish, the verb pedir is transitive. This means it takes the object ayuda directly without a preposition between them.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb pedir is an irregular stem-changing verb. In many present tense forms, the 'e' in the stem changes to an 'i', such as in pido, pides or pide.
How do you pronounce it?
/pediɾ aʝuda/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying preguntar ayuda. While preguntar can be translated as 'to ask', it is used specifically for asking questions. When you are requesting something or seeking assistance, you must use pedir.
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific noun ayuda for help, but it also uses socorro when asking for help in an emergency, such as shouting 'help' while drowning.
- While pedir ayuda is a request for assistance, using pedir with a food item in a restaurant allows you to 'order' a meal, as the verb covers both requesting a favor and ordering a product.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking for help too directly can be seen as aggressive, so people often use me podrías ayudar to soften the request into a polite possibility.
Examples in context
- Suele ser difícil pedir ayuda.It's often hard to ask for help.This sentence shows how to express that asking for help is often difficult.Tatoeba #9703446 by Shishir, translation #9703442 by CK
- Tomás tenía miedo de pedir ayuda.Tom was afraid to ask for help.This sentence describes the feeling of being afraid to ask for help.Tatoeba #5157163 by don_ramon, translation #3161773 by CK
- No dude en pedir ayuda si la necesita.Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it.This sentence provides a way to tell someone not to hesitate when they need to ask for help.Tatoeba #966242 by gleOsp, translation #12207028 by Miktsoanit
- Perdón, ¿podría ayudarme, por favor? No encuentro la oficina del director.Excuse me, could you help me, please? I can't find the director's office.
- Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar? Me he perdido y necesito llegar a la estación de tren.Excuse me, can you help me? I am lost and I need to get to the train station.
- ¡Ayuda! ¡Necesito ayuda, por favor! Alguien se ha caído.Help! I need help, please! Someone has fallen.
- Oye, ¿me puedes echar una mano con estos libros? Son muy pesados.Hey, can you give me a hand with these books? They are very heavy.
- Carlos, necesito tu ayuda, por favor. ¿Puedes prestarme un poco de dinero?Carlos, I need your help, please. Can you lend me some money?
- Perdón, ¿me puede indicar dónde está la parada de autobús, por favor?Excuse me, can you tell me where the bus stop is, please?
- Disculpe, no entendí bien las indicaciones. ¿Podría repetirlas, por favor?Excuse me, I didn't understand the directions clearly. Could you repeat them, please?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are in the office during a busy afternoon.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿necesitas pedir ayuda con el informe?Daniel, do you need to ask for help with the report?
- DanielSí, es demasiado trabajo para mí solo.Yes, it is too much work for me alone.
- MaríaYo te ayudo si quieres.I will help you if you want.
- DanielGracias, María, eres muy amable.Thanks, María, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
