pedir comida
/pediɾ komida/from spelling rules
To order food in Spanish is to pedir comida.
The phrase is used to describe the act of requesting a meal from a server or a delivery service. A very common and natural way to express this idea is to say pedir algo de comer, which translates to 'to order something to eat'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb pedir (to ask for/request) and the noun comida (food).
Which one should you use?
While ordenar comida is used in some Latin American regions due to English influence, pedir comida is the more standard and widely used way to express requesting a meal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb pedir is an e-to-i stem-changing verb. For example, in the first-person singular present tense, the 'e' changes to 'i', resulting in pido comida (I order food). In many Spanish-speaking regions, the preterite tense is used to state that you ordered food at a specific time, such as pedí comida (I ordered food).
Did you know?
- In Spain, the word comida specifically refers to the main meal of the day, usually eaten between 2 pm and 4 pm, rather than just food in general.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you do not pedir food immediately upon sitting down. It is customary to wait for the server to initiate the process or for the drinks to arrive first.
- The verb pedir is a distant relative of the English word 'petition', as both originate from the Latin 'petere' which means to seek or request.
Examples in context
- Quisiera hacer un pedido, por favor.I would like to place an order, please.
- Me gustaría ordenar comida, por favor.I would like to order food, please.
- Quiero pedir comida.I want to order food.
- Me pones un plato de paella, por favor.Could you get me a plate of paella, please?
- Quiero pedir comida. ¿Me pones una tortilla de patatas?I want to order food. Could you get me a potato omelette?
- Voy a pedir comida italiana.I am going to order Italian food.
- ¿Quieres pedir comida por teléfono?Do you want to order food by phone?
- Es difícil pedir comida en este restaurante.It is difficult to order food in this restaurant.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are deciding what to do for dinner at home.
- ElenaTengo mucha hambre, Javier.I am very hungry, Javier.
- JavierYo también, ¿quieres pedir comida?Me too, do you want to order food?
- ElenaSí, vamos a pedir comida china.Yes, let's order Chinese food.
- JavierPerfecto, yo uso la aplicación.Perfect, I will use the app.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comida, pedir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
