Preguntar or pedir?
Preguntar = ask a question: Le pregunté la hora (I asked him the time). Pedir = ask for / order something: Le pedí un favor (I asked him a favour). And preguntar por = ask about / after someone: Tu abuela preguntó por ti.
Indicative tenses of preguntar
Facts and things that happen: the tenses you'll use most.
Present indicative
| yo | preguntoI ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntasyou ask |
| él/ella/usted | preguntahe/she asks |
| nosotros/as | preguntamoswe ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntáisyou all ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntanthey ask |
Fully regular. Preguntar = ask a question; to ask for something is pedir.
Preterite indicative
| yo | preguntéI asked |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntasteyou asked |
| él/ella/usted | preguntóhe/she asked |
| nosotros/as | preguntamoswe asked |
| vosotros/as | preguntasteisyou all asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntaronthey asked |
Imperfect indicative
| yo | preguntabaI used to ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntabasyou used to ask |
| él/ella/usted | preguntabahe/she used to ask |
| nosotros/as | preguntábamoswe used to ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntabaisyou all used to ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntabanthey used to ask |
Present continuous indicative
| yo | estoy preguntandoI am asking |
|---|---|
| tú | estás preguntandoyou are asking |
| él/ella/usted | está preguntandohe/she is asking |
| nosotros/as | estamos preguntandowe are asking |
| vosotros/as | estáis preguntandoyou all are asking |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | están preguntandothey are asking |
estar + gerund
Informal future indicative
| yo | voy a preguntarI am going to ask |
|---|---|
| tú | vas a preguntaryou are going to ask |
| él/ella/usted | va a preguntarhe/she is going to ask |
| nosotros/as | vamos a preguntarwe are going to ask |
| vosotros/as | vais a preguntaryou all are going to ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | van a preguntarthey are going to ask |
ir a + infinitive
Future indicative
| yo | preguntaréI will ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntarásyou will ask |
| él/ella/usted | preguntaráhe/she will ask |
| nosotros/as | preguntaremoswe will ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntaréisyou all will ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntaránthey will ask |
Conditional indicative
| yo | preguntaríaI would ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntaríasyou would ask |
| él/ella/usted | preguntaríahe/she would ask |
| nosotros/as | preguntaríamoswe would ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntaríaisyou all would ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntaríanthey would ask |
Present perfect indicative
| yo | he preguntadoI have asked |
|---|---|
| tú | has preguntadoyou have asked |
| él/ella/usted | ha preguntadohe/she has asked |
| nosotros/as | hemos preguntadowe have asked |
| vosotros/as | habéis preguntadoyou all have asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | han preguntadothey have asked |
haber (present) + past participle
Past perfect indicative
| yo | había preguntadoI had asked |
|---|---|
| tú | habías preguntadoyou had asked |
| él/ella/usted | había preguntadohe/she had asked |
| nosotros/as | habíamos preguntadowe had asked |
| vosotros/as | habíais preguntadoyou all had asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habían preguntadothey had asked |
haber (imperfect) + past participle
Future perfect indicative
| yo | habré preguntadoI will have asked |
|---|---|
| tú | habrás preguntadoyou will have asked |
| él/ella/usted | habrá preguntadohe/she will have asked |
| nosotros/as | habremos preguntadowe will have asked |
| vosotros/as | habréis preguntadoyou all will have asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habrán preguntadothey will have asked |
haber (future) + past participle
Conditional perfect indicative
| yo | habría preguntadoI would have asked |
|---|---|
| tú | habrías preguntadoyou would have asked |
| él/ella/usted | habría preguntadohe/she would have asked |
| nosotros/as | habríamos preguntadowe would have asked |
| vosotros/as | habríais preguntadoyou all would have asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habrían preguntadothey would have asked |
haber (conditional) + past participle
Subjunctive tenses of preguntar
Wishes, doubts, emotions and "if" sentences.
Present subjunctive
| yo | pregunte(that) I ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntes(that) you ask |
| él/ella/usted | pregunte(that) he/she asks |
| nosotros/as | preguntemos(that) we ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntéis(that) you all ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | pregunten(that) they ask |
Imperfect subjunctive
| yo | preguntara(if) I asked |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntaras(if) you asked |
| él/ella/usted | preguntara(if) he/she asked |
| nosotros/as | preguntáramos(if) we asked |
| vosotros/as | preguntarais(if) you all asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntaran(if) they asked |
Future subjunctive
| yo | preguntare(if) I ask |
|---|---|
| tú | preguntares(if) you ask |
| él/ella/usted | preguntare(if) he/she asks |
| nosotros/as | preguntáremos(if) we ask |
| vosotros/as | preguntareis(if) you all ask |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preguntaren(if) they ask |
rarely used: legal & formal texts
Present perfect subjunctive
| yo | haya preguntado(that) I have asked |
|---|---|
| tú | hayas preguntado(that) you have asked |
| él/ella/usted | haya preguntado(that) he/she has asked |
| nosotros/as | hayamos preguntado(that) we have asked |
| vosotros/as | hayáis preguntado(that) you all have asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hayan preguntado(that) they have asked |
haber (present subj.) + past participle
Past perfect subjunctive
| yo | hubiera preguntado(if) I had asked |
|---|---|
| tú | hubieras preguntado(if) you had asked |
| él/ella/usted | hubiera preguntado(if) he/she had asked |
| nosotros/as | hubiéramos preguntado(if) we had asked |
| vosotros/as | hubierais preguntado(if) you all had asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hubieran preguntado(if) they had asked |
haber (imperfect subj.) + past participle
Future perfect subjunctive
| yo | hubiere preguntado(if) I will have asked |
|---|---|
| tú | hubieres preguntado(if) you will have asked |
| él/ella/usted | hubiere preguntado(if) he/she will have asked |
| nosotros/as | hubiéremos preguntado(if) we will have asked |
| vosotros/as | hubiereis preguntado(if) you all will have asked |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hubieren preguntado(if) they will have asked |
rarely used: legal & formal texts
Imperative tenses of preguntar
Commands and instructions.
Affirmative imperative
| tú | preguntaask! |
|---|---|
| usted | pregunteask! (formal) |
| nosotros/as | preguntemoslet's ask! |
| vosotros/as | preguntadask! (you all) |
| ustedes | preguntenask! (you all, formal) |
Negative imperative
| tú | no preguntesdon't ask! |
|---|---|
| usted | no preguntedon't ask! (formal) |
| nosotros/as | no preguntemoslet's not ask! |
| vosotros/as | no preguntéisdon't ask! (you all) |
| ustedes | no preguntendon't ask! (you all, formal) |
Practice preguntar
Two quick exercises. No sign-up, no app: just you and preguntar.
How to use preguntar
¿Puedo preguntarte algo?
Can I ask you something?
Pregúntale a tu profesor.
Ask your teacher.
Mi madre preguntó por ti.
My mother asked about you.
Me pregunto si vendrá.
I wonder if he will come.
Vamos a preguntar cómo llegar.
Let's ask how to get there.
Example sentences with preguntar
- Pregunto porque no lo sé.I'm asking because I don't know.
- ¿Qué te preguntó?What did he ask you?
- Le pregunté la hora.I asked him the time.
- Los niños siempre preguntaban "¿por qué?".The kids were always asking "why?".
- Mañana le preguntaré.Tomorrow I'll ask him.
- No me preguntes eso.Don't ask me that.
- Si me preguntaras, te lo diría.If you asked me, I'd tell you.
- ¿Has preguntado el precio?Have you asked the price?
Verbs like preguntar
Preguntar follows the regular -ar pattern. Its partners: contestar / responder (to answer) and pedir (to ask for).
Frequently asked questions about preguntar
Is preguntar regular or irregular?
Preguntar is completely regular in every tense.
How do you conjugate preguntar in the present tense?
pregunto, preguntas, pregunta, preguntamos, preguntáis, preguntan.
How do you conjugate preguntar in the preterite?
pregunté, preguntaste, preguntó, preguntamos, preguntasteis, preguntaron.
What is the difference between preguntar and pedir?
Preguntar = ask a question. Pedir = ask for something, order, request.
What does "preguntarse" mean?
"To wonder": me pregunto por qué = I wonder why.
What is the past participle of preguntar?
The past participle is preguntado and the gerund is preguntando.
Free cheat sheet
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