Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| pedir | /peˈdiɾ/ |
| ordenar | /oɾdeˈnaɾ/ |
The verb pedir is used when you are requesting a product or a service, such as when ordering food at a restaurant.
Which one should you use?
pedir is the common way to express requesting an item. In contrast, ordenar is used when you are giving a command to someone or when you are arranging objects in a specific sequence.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people often use ordenar to mean 'to order.' In Spain, ponme is a casual way to say 'give me.' In Argentina, people commonly use me hacés to mean 'can you give me.'
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
pedir is an e-to-i stem-changing verb. In the present indicative, the form for 'I order' is pido. In the preterite past tense, the form for 'he/she ordered' is pidió.
How do you pronounce it?
/peˈdiɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ordenar to mean ordering food in a restaurant. To sound natural, use pedir when requesting items or services.
Did you know?
- While 'to order' is the translation for pedir, the word 'pedir' actually comes from the Latin 'petere', which meant 'to seek' or 'to attack'.
- The word pedir is used for everything from ordering a coffee to asking for a hand in marriage, which is pedir la mano.
- If you use ordenar while dining in Spain, locals might think you are commanding the waiter to perform a task rather than requesting a meal.
Examples in context
- Tom no sabe qué pedir.Tom doesn't know what to order.This sentence is useful for saying someone does not know what to order using pedir.Tatoeba #1682681 by marcelostockle, translation #1026080 by CK
- Querría pedir lo mismo.I'd like to order the same.This sentence shows how to say you would like to order the same using pedir.Tatoeba #1074910 by Shishir, translation #262364 by CK
- ¿Podés pedirlos por mí?Can you order them for me?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can order items for you using pedir.Tatoeba #4507195 by emanuel81, translation #4506858 by raggione
- ¿Podría traerme la carta de vinos, por favor?Could you bring me the wine menu, please?
- ¿Me pones una quesadilla, por favor?Can you give me a quesadilla, please?
- Quisiera la ensalada sin nueces, por favor.I would like the salad without nuts, please.
- No como carne de cerdo, ¿tienes opciones vegetarianas?I don't eat pork, do you have any vegetarian options?
- Me gustaría pedir una entrada de empanadas de pollo.I would like to order a chicken empanada appetizer.
- ¿Me das una cerveza, por favor? Gracias.Can you give me a beer, please? Thank you.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are at a restaurant.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿qué vas a pedir?Alejandro, what are you going to order?
- AlejandroNo sé, quiero pedir algo rico.I don't know, I want to order something delicious.
- ElenaYo voy a pedir la pasta.I am going to order the pasta.
- AlejandroPerfecto, yo pediré lo mismo.Perfect, I will order the same.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “order” translations and entries pedir, ordenar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ordenar, pedir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
