Log inSign up

La jefa pide que limpien el vestuario.

La jefa pide que limpien el vestuario.
The boss asks that they clean the changing room.
From Lesson 246:Request and command verbs (pedir que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about La jefa pide que limpien el vestuario.

Why is the verb limpien used instead of limpian?
The verb pedir (to ask or request) is a trigger for the subjunctive. When the boss asks that someone else does something, the second verb must be in the subjunctive mood. limpien is the present subjunctive form of limpiar for ellos, ellas, or ustedes.
Wait, why is the first verb pide instead of pede?
pedir is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to an i for most forms, making the él, ella, or usted form pide. Notice that because it is the boss doing the asking, it stays in the normal indicative mood, while the action she is requesting (limpien) changes to the subjunctive.
Who exactly is supposed to clean the changing room here?
The sentence doesn't explicitly say! The ending of limpien tells us it is a group of people (they or you all). In Spanish, it is common to drop the pronoun like ellos or ustedes when the context makes it obvious, such as the cleaning staff or the employees she is talking to.
Could I use preguntar instead of pedir to say the boss asks?
No, because preguntar means to ask a question to get information. When you are asking someone to do something or asking for a favor, you must use pedir.

Learn La jefa pide que limpien el vestuario and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →