Use pídeselo for requesting an item from a man, and pregúntaselo when you want him to answer a question about it.
English blurs two ideas into one line. “Ask him for it” can mean “request the thing from him,” or it can mean “ask him about it.” Spanish does not blur that split in the same way. You usually need to choose the verb first, then build the rest of the phrase around that choice.
That’s why learners get stuck. They know ask, they know him, they know it, yet the final Spanish line still feels slippery. The fix is simple once you sort the meaning.
- If you mean request it from him, the usual choice is pídeselo.
- If you mean ask him about it or put the question to him, use pregúntaselo.
- If you need a formal version, switch to pídaselo or pregúnteselo.
Asking him for it in Spanish with the right verb
The whole sentence turns on one choice: pedir or preguntar. In standard modern Spanish, pedir is the verb for requesting something, while preguntar is the verb for asking a question.
When you mean “request it from him”
Use pídeselo if you are speaking to one person in an informal setting. It breaks down like this: pide + se + lo. The se stands in for “to him,” and lo stands in for “it” when the thing is masculine. If the thing is feminine, switch to la: pídesela.
Say your friend has the tickets. You want your sister to ask him for them. You would say, Pídeselos. If it is one ticket, Pídeselo. If it is the pass, Pídesela. The pattern stays steady once the object is clear.
When you mean “ask him about it”
Use pregúntaselo when “it” points to an issue, fact, plan, or question. In that case, you are not requesting the thing itself from him. You are telling someone else to put the matter to him. “Ask him about the meeting” becomes Pregúntaselo only when the topic is already known from the previous line.
This is where English trips people up. “Ask him for it” and “ask him about it” sit close to each other on the page, but Spanish hears two different actions. If the action is getting an item, use pedir. If the action is putting a question to him, use preguntar.
Forms that sound natural in real speech
Once the verb is settled, the next step is tone. Spanish changes the command form based on who you are talking to. That part matters because the phrase you need in a text to a friend is not the same as the one you would use with a client, a stranger, or a group.
The table below puts the most useful forms in one place. It starts with the two meanings that cause the most mix-ups, then adds the versions you are likely to need in daily use. This split matches the RAE entry for pedir and the RAE entry for preguntar, which separate requesting something from asking a question.
Why the pronouns attach to the verb
Affirmative commands in Spanish pull these short pronouns onto the end of the verb. That is why you get one written unit like pídeselo instead of three separate words. The RAE note on imperative pronouns states that unstressed pronouns go after the verb in affirmative imperatives.
There is one small twist that learners need early: le changes to se before lo, la, los, and las. So you do not say pídelelo. You say pídeselo. The same shift gives you pregúntaselo, not pregúntale lo.
Accent marks also matter. When pronouns stick to the end, stress can shift, so written Spanish often adds an accent to keep the original sound: pide becomes pídeselo, and pregunta becomes pregúntaselo. Leave the accent out, and the word looks wrong to a native reader right away.
The se + lo switch
If you are telling someone not to ask him for it, the pronouns move in front of the verb: No se lo pidas. The same happens with preguntar: No se lo preguntes. This is one of the cleanest ways to hear the grammar at work. Positive command: pronouns after the verb. Negative command: pronouns before the verb.
| Situation | Spanish form | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Request it from him (tú) | pídeselo | Casual singular command |
| Request it from him (usted) | pídaselo | Formal singular command |
| Request it from him (ustedes) | pídanselo | Formal or plural command |
| Request it from him (vosotros) | pedídselo | Spain plural informal |
| Ask him about it (tú) | pregúntaselo | Casual singular command |
| Ask him about it (usted) | pregúnteselo | Formal singular command |
| Ask him about it (ustedes) | pregúntenselo | Formal or plural command |
| Ask him about it (vosotros) | preguntádselo | Spain plural informal |
Common sentence patterns that work well
You do not always need the tight one-word form. In speech, Spanish also uses fuller lines that feel natural and easy to shape around context. These are handy when the object is not clear yet or when you want a softer tone.
- Pídeselo a Juan. Ask Juan for it.
- Si lo necesita, pídeselo. If she needs it, ask him for it.
- Pregúntaselo mañana. Ask him about it tomorrow.
- Si no estás seguro, pregúntaselo a él. If you are unsure, ask him about it.
Notice what Spanish is doing here. The short pronouns carry the meaning only when the listener already knows who “him” is and what “it” is. If either part feels foggy, Spanish often adds the name or the stressed pronoun: a Juan, a él, la llave, el dinero. That keeps the sentence clean.
Also, Spanish does not force you to mirror every English word. If English says “Ask him for the money,” a plain and natural Spanish line is Pídele el dinero. You do not need to force an “it” into the sentence when the noun itself reads better.
When a full noun sounds better than a pronoun
Spanish likes pronouns, but not at the cost of clarity. If the listener may not know what “it” means, say the noun. Pídele el informe often lands better than Pídeselo when the report has not been named yet. The same goes for Pregúntale por el horario if the topic still feels new in the conversation.
| Common mistake | Better Spanish | Why it sounds better |
|---|---|---|
| Pídelelo | Pídeselo | Le changes to se before direct-object pronouns |
| Pregúntale lo | Pregúntaselo | The pronouns join the affirmative command |
| No pídaselo | No se lo pidas | Negative commands place pronouns before the verb |
| Using preguntar for an object request | Use pedir | Preguntar asks a question; pedir requests a thing |
| Using pedir for “ask him about it” | Use preguntar | The meaning is about a question, not getting an item |
How to pick the right version fast
Run one short check in your head: am I asking for the thing itself, or am I asking him a question about it? That single split clears up most of the doubt.
- If you want the item from him, start with pedir.
- If you want him to answer something, start with preguntar.
- Then match the command to tú, usted, ustedes, or vosotros.
- Then attach the pronouns in positive commands, or move them before the verb in negative commands.
That gives you a clean set of choices: pídeselo, pídaselo, pídanselo, pregúntaselo, pregúnteselo, or pregúntenselo. Once you hear the two meanings as separate lanes, the phrase stops feeling messy.
If you want the safest everyday answer for “Ask Him For It In Spanish,” use pídeselo when the line means “request it from him.” Use pregúntaselo when the line means “ask him about it.” That is the split native speakers hear, and it is the split that keeps your Spanish sharp and natural.
References & Sources
- Real Academia Española.“pedir | Diccionario de la lengua española.”Defines pedir as expressing a need or desire to someone so that person can satisfy it.
- Real Academia Española.“preguntar | Diccionario de la lengua española.”Defines preguntar as putting a question to someone.
- Real Academia Española.“El imperativo. Propiedades formales.”States that affirmative imperative forms place unstressed pronouns after the verb.