Learn Spanish (Latin America): Yo pido la comida y tú pides el menú. - I order the food and you ask for the menu.

Pedir (to ask for / to order) is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the e in the root of the word changes to an i for most people (I, you, he/she/it, they). So, yo pido is "I order" and tú pides is "you order". The only exception you will use regularly is the "we" form, which keeps the original e (pedimos).

Why is there no Spanish word for "for" in "you ask for the menu"?

The verb pedir has "for" built right into its meaning. It translates perfectly to "to ask for" or "to request." English speakers often try to add a word like por or para after it, but in Spanish, you just connect the verb directly to the thing you want: pides el menú.

How do I know whether pedir means "to order" or "to ask for"?

It depends entirely on the context! In a restaurant, requesting food is "ordering" (pedir la comida), while requesting the physical menu is just "asking for" it (pedir el menú). Spanish uses the same verb because both are simply requests.

Do I have to include the words yo and tú in this sentence?