Pedir is used when you are requesting something from someone.
For example:
- Pedro me pidió que le ayudara con la tarea. (Pedro asked me to help him with his homework.)
- Le pedí al camarero que me trajera una copa de vino. (I asked the waiter to bring me a glass of wine.)
Preguntar, on the other hand, is used when you are asking a question.
For example:
- Le pregunté a Juan cómo estaba. (I asked Juan how he was doing.)
- Le pregunté a la maestra qué hora era. (I asked the teacher what time it was.)
In general, pedir is used when you want something and preguntar is used when you want information. However, there are some cases where either verb can be used.
For example, you can say either "Le pedí al camarero que me trajera una copa de vino" or "Le pregunté al camarero si podía traerme una copa de vino." In both cases, you are asking the waiter for a glass of wine, but in the first case you are using pedir because you are asking him to give you something; in the second case, you are using preguntar because you are asking him a question.
Here is a table summarizing the key differences between pedir and preguntar:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pedir | To request something | Le pedí al camarero que me trajera una copa de vino. (I asked the waiter to bring me a glass of wine.) |
| Preguntar | To ask a question | Le pregunté a Juan cómo estaba. (I asked Juan how he was doing.) |