Why Preguntar Is "To Ask a Question," Not "To Ask For"
Preguntar is the verb for asking a question: you want information. For asking for a thing or a favor, Spanish uses pedir; see [Pedir] Chunks. English uses "ask" for both, so this is a very common mix-up.
Preguntar is regular. Learn the six chunks below and you will ask, wonder and ask politely without translating.
Pattern 1: Preguntar si / qué / cuánto… — "To ask whether / what / how much…"
After preguntar, you can put a whole question: si for yes/no, or a question word like qué, cuánto, dónde. The person you ask is me, te, le.
- Pregunta si hay mesa libre. — Ask if there's a free table.
- Le pregunté cuánto costaba. — I asked him how much it cost.
- Pregúntale qué quiere. — Ask him what he wants.
Chunk to learn:
Preguntar + [si / qué / cuánto / dónde] + [cláusula]
Pattern 2: Preguntar por… — "To ask about / ask for (someone)"
With por, it means to ask how someone is, to ask about a topic, or to ask for a person on the phone or at a shop. For looking for something, see [Buscar] Chunks.
- Preguntó por ti. — She asked about you.
- Pregunté por el precio. — I asked about the price.
- Pregunte por el gerente. — Ask for the manager.
Chunk to learn:
Preguntar por + [persona / algo]
Pattern 3: Hacer una pregunta — "To ask a question"
The noun pregunta works with hacer, not with preguntar alone. Tengo una pregunta is the standard way to start. For more on hacer, see [Hacer] Chunks.
- Tengo una pregunta. — I have a question.
- ¿Puedo hacerte una pregunta? — Can I ask you a question?
- Me hizo muchas preguntas. — He asked me a lot of questions.
Chunk to learn:
Hacer una pregunta / Tengo una pregunta
Pattern 4: Me pregunto si… — "I wonder if…"
With se, you ask yourself: you wonder. It is the natural chunk for thinking aloud. For knowing and not knowing, see Saber vs. Conocer Chunks.
- Me pregunto si vendrá. — I wonder if he'll come.
- Me pregunto por qué se fue. — I wonder why she left.
- Me lo preguntaba yo también. — I was wondering that too.
Chunk to learn:
Me pregunto si… / Me pregunto por qué…
Pattern 5: Preguntar el camino — "To ask for directions"
What you do when you are lost. It also gives you a famous proverb: preguntando se llega a Roma, "if you ask, you get there." For arriving, see [Llegar] Chunks.
- Voy a preguntar el camino. — I'm going to ask for directions.
- Fuimos preguntando el camino. — We found our way by asking.
- Preguntando se llega a Roma. — If you ask, you'll get there.
Chunk to learn:
Preguntar el camino / Preguntando se llega a Roma
Pattern 6: Perdona que te pregunte… — "Sorry to ask, but…"
The polite way to ask something personal, like age, price or salary. Si no es indiscreción says "if you don't mind my asking." For the same polite style, see [Molestar] Chunks.
- Perdona que te pregunte, ¿cuánto pagaste? — Sorry to ask, how much did you pay?
- Si no es indiscreción, ¿cuántos años tienes? — If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?
- No quiero preguntar de más, pero… — I don't want to pry, but…
Chunk to learn:
Perdona que te pregunte… / Si no es indiscreción…
Preguntar vs. Pedir
A quick test: if you want information, use preguntar. If you want a thing or an action, use pedir. Pregunté la hora asks what time it is; pedí la cuenta asks for the bill. When you ask for help, use pedir ayuda; when you ask how something works, use preguntar cómo funciona.
Start with tengo una pregunta and me pregunto si…. You will use both in the first conversation where you do not understand something.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.