Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Qué pide usted?

¿Qué pide usted?

What are you ordering?

Breakdown of ¿Qué pide usted?

qué

what

usted

you (formal, singular)

pedir

to ask for; to order (food or drink)

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Questions & Answers about ¿Qué pide usted?

Why does pide mean "ordering" here?

The verb pedir usually means "to ask for." However, in the context of a restaurant or cafe, it is the standard word used for "to order" food or drinks.

Why is the verb spelled pide and not "pede"?

The verb pedir is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to an i for most forms, including the usted form we see here.

Why are we using a third-person verb form if we are talking to "you"?

The pronoun usted is the formal way to say "you" in Spanish. Even though it means "you," it always pairs with third-person singular verb forms, which are the exact same endings used for él (he) and ella (she).

Can this sentence also mean "What do you order?"?

Yes! In Spanish, the simple present tense like pide can translate to both "do you order" (a general habit) and "are you ordering" (happening right now), depending on the situation.