Breakdown of ¿Qué pides para cenar?
para
for / in order to (+ infinitive) / by (a deadline)
qué
what
cenar
to have dinner
pedir
to ask for; to order (food or drink)
Questions & Answers about ¿Qué pides para cenar?
Why is pides translated as "are you ordering" here?
Why is it spelled pides instead of "pedes"?
The verb pedir is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to an i for most subjects. So for tú (you), it becomes pides. It also changes for yo pido (I order) and él/ella pide (he/she orders), but stays regular for nosotros pedimos (we order) and vosotros pedís (you all order).
Why doesn't the Spanish sentence use a continuous tense like the English "are you ordering"?
In Spanish, the simple present tense (pides) is used much more flexibly than in English. It often handles actions happening right now or in the near future. While you could technically say ¿Qué estás pidiendo?, the simple present sounds completely natural and is much more common for this kind of everyday question.
Why does the sentence use the verb cenar instead of the noun for dinner (la cena)?