Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to ask" in Italian: chiedere
chiedere
Note: also: domandare
To ask in Italian is chiedere (KYEH-deh-reh). Io chiedo, tu chiedi, lui/lei chiede. Past participle chiesto. Domandare is a close synonym; this entry focuses on chiedere.
At a counter
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How to pronounce chiedere
Say it
KYEH-deh-reh
/ˈkje.de.re/
Chiedere is KYEH-deh-reh: chie is kyeh. Chiedo is KYEH-doh. Chiesto is KYEH-stoh.
"to ask" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| chiedere | to ask Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| chiedo / chiedi / chiede | I ask / you ask / he-she asks Present. | Present. |
| chiesto | asked Past participle. | Past participle. |
| chiedere scusa | to apologise / ask forgiveness Set phrase. | Set phrase. |
How to use chiedere in real life
- 1At a counter
Posso chiedere un'informazione?
May I ask for some information?
Infinitive after posso.
- 2Friend favour
Ti chiedo un favore piccolo.
I'm asking you a small favour.
Chiedo conjugation.
- 3Directions
Chiedi tu all'autista, per favore.
You ask the driver, please.
Chiedi imperative/present.
Mistakes English speakers make with chiedere
Incorrect: Io chiedere il prezzo.
Correct: Chiedo il prezzo.
Conjugate: io chiedo.
Incorrect: Ho chieduto aiuto.
Correct: Ho chiesto aiuto.
Past participle is chiesto.
Good to know
Posso chiedere…? softens any request. Chiedere scusa is everyday apology language. Domandare overlaps heavily; many speakers use both without a hard rule.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Getting train platform help
ChatPal
Chiedo io all'impiegato?
Shall I ask the clerk?
You
Sì, chiedi pure del binario.
Yes, go ahead and ask about the platform.
ChatPal
Ok. Gli chiedo anche se è in orario.
Ok. I'll also ask him if it's on time.
You
Perfetto. Io chiedo intanto alla app.
Perfect. Meanwhile I'll ask the app.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to ask" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to ask" in Italian
Chiedere vs domandare?
Near synonyms; this page teaches chiedere.
Past participle?
Chiesto.
Ask a question?
Fare una domanda / chiedere qualcosa.
Io form?
Chiedo.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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