In Spanish, there are two verbs commonly used to say to ask: "pedir" and "preguntar". There are important differences between these two verbs in terms of context, and they're not interchangeable. On one hand, "pedir" is used to request an object, service, favor, etc (ask for). For example: Le pedí ayuda a Pedro - I asked Pedro for help / María me pidió que cuidara de sus hijos - María asked me to take care of her children. On another hand, "preguntar" is used to ask for information, or ask a question. For example: El profesor pregunto qué hora era - The teacher asked what time it was