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"to ask (a question, for something)" in seven languages

Meaningto ask (a question, for something)

Spanish

preguntar

/pɾegunˈtaɾ/

other source · Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

Only for questions; asking for something is pedir.

French

demander

/dəmɑ̃de/

inherited

Covers both asking a question and asking for something.

Italian

chiedere

/ˈkjɛdere/

other source · Latin QUAERERE 'to seek'

Domandare, the twin of French demander, is also everyday Italian.

Portuguese

perguntar

/pehɡũˈtah/

other source · Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

Asking for something is pedir.

Romanian

întreba

/ɨntreˈba/

other source · Latin INTERROGĀRE 'to question'

Asking for something is cere (QUAERERE).

Catalan

preguntar

/pɾəɡunˈta/

other source · Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

Demanar, like French demander, is to ask for something.

English

ask

/æsk/

native English · Old English āscian

English → Italianto ask (a question, for something)chiedereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: demand, mandate, command.What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • demandar (Spanish) means “to sue; to demand” · demander (French) means “to ask (for)”

    Both from Latin DĒMANDĀRE 'to entrust'. French softened it to ordinary asking (as did Italian domandare); Spanish kept the legal claim.

All false friends

The Latin ancestor

DĒMANDĀRE‘to entrust, hand over’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

The classic false friend: French demander and Italian domandare just mean 'to ask', not 'to demand'. Spanish splits the job: preguntar for questions, pedir for requests.

English relatives: demand, mandate, command

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esPregúntale al camarero.
  • frDemande au serveur.
  • itChiedi al cameriere.
  • ptPergunte ao garçom.
  • roÎntreabă-l pe chelner.
  • caPregunta-ho al cambrer.
  • enAsk the waiter.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words