Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to order (food)" in Spanish: pedir
pedir
To order food in Spanish is pedir. Say yo pido and ¿Qué pides? Present forms take e→i: pido, pides, pide.
Restaurant
Pido tacos al pastor, por favor.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pedir
Say it
peh-DEER / PEE-doh
/pe.ˈðiɾ/
peh-DEER. Yo pido is PEE-doh. Soft d.
"to order (food)" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| pedir | to order / to ask for Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| yo pido | I order / I ask for Present; e→i. | Present; e→i. |
| ¿qué pides? | what are you ordering? Restaurant. | Restaurant. |
| pedir la cuenta | to ask for the check End of meal. | End of meal. |
| ¿ya pidieron? | did you all order already? Ustedes past. | Ustedes past. |
How to use pedir in real life
- 1Restaurant
Pido tacos al pastor, por favor.
I'll order pastor tacos, please.
Pido for I order.
- 2Friend ask
¿Qué pides tú esta noche?
What are you ordering tonight?
Pides with tú.
- 3Check
Pedimos la cuenta, por favor.
We're asking for the check, please.
Pedimos = we order/ask.
Mistakes English speakers make with pedir
Incorrect: Yo pedo un café.
Correct: Yo pido un café.
Present is pido, not pedo.
Incorrect: Yo ordenar la sopa (Spanglish).
Correct: Pido la sopa. / Voy a pedir la sopa.
At restaurants, pedir is the everyday verb.
Good to know
Good to knowPedir means order food and also ask for things. Ordenar exists but pedir is the common restaurant verb in Latin America. ¿Ya pidieron? checks a whole table (ustedes).
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Ordering at a casual restaurant
ChatPal
¿Qué pides tú?
What are you ordering?
You
Pido una sopa y agua.
I'll order a soup and water.
ChatPal
Yo pido los tacos.
I'll order the tacos.
You
Luego pedimos la cuenta juntos.
Later we'll ask for the check together.
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 order (food)" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to order (food)" in Spanish
How do I say I order?
Yo pido.
Why pido not pedo?
Present e→i: pido, pides, pide, piden.
Ask for the check?
Pedimos la cuenta / la cuenta, por favor.
How do you pronounce pido?
PEE-doh, soft d.
Use these words in a conversation
Find useful phrases for a situation, learn what to say back, and rehearse your part with revealable sample answers.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
Keep reading
- 8 Sentences with Ser in Spanish: Examples and GrammarExplore 8 sentences with ser in spanish covering identity, origin, time, and materials, with translations, grammar tips, and mistakes to avoid.
- 33 in Spanish: How to Say It and Use It NaturallyLearn how to say 33 in Spanish with clear pronunciation, ordinal forms, regional variations, and real example sentences for confident everyday speaking.
