Pedir

Pedir
 

I know that "ask" means "preguntar" and "ask for" means "pedir", but I have to translate a sentence in which "ask for" is not used for "preguntar":

No te he pedido nunca que hagas negocios con él.
I said: I have never asked you for doing business with him.
Book: I have nerver asked you to do business with him.

Why here "to" is used instead "for"? :confused:

Thanks. :)

The rule is the word to is never used to front of the present progressive (or gerund).
To + the verb forms the infinitive in English.

Irmamar.

In my own point view.
I would choice the first ones.:)

Irmamar, it seems to me that poli's answer is on point. One thing I would do too, is to 'translate back' into Spanish what you wrote in English 'forgetting' or 'pretending to forget' what the original was. If you go 'literal' "Nunca te he pedido [para] hacer negocios con él" your Spanish (with 'para') reads kind of odd. You could probably get away with "I never asked for 'you doing business with him'." (English natives, correct me if I am wrong). But "I never asked you to do business with him" seems the most idiomatic and simpler English way.

Thanks, I knew the rule, the question is that "ask" means "preguntar", instead of "pedir", so I'm not sure why here "ask" works as "pedir". Surely this is the way of expressing that, and I'll have to learn it. :thinking:

Thanks anyway. :)

I take you are right, and you'll have to learn it. It is one slightly different definition of the English word.
I think the reason "ask" works as "pedir", is mainly due to the meaning of "ask" as intransitive verb (i.e., with no "object") as noted in Random House definition 11.
I.e., you can "ask me a question" (preguntarme una pregunta) (transitive) or you can "ask for an explanation" (pedir una explicación) (intransitive)
–v.i. 10. to make inquiry; inquire: to ask about a person. (preguntar por/acerca de una persona) (Also: Inquirir por una persona)
11. to request or petition (usually fol. by for): to ask for leniency; to ask for food.
(pedir/solicitar indulgencia; pedir comida.)
I Hope this helps. (Make some more sentences of your own, and I think you will have it.)

Perdí mi respuesta por un error de Ctrl-C cuando quería Ctrl-V, pero da igual porque lo único que puedo decir con confianza es que "pedirte algo" es

to ask you for + sustantivo
to ask you to + infinitivo

El gerundio no puede sustituir un sustantivo sin importar el contexto.

No quiero comprometerme a decir que el subjuntivo en español siempre se traduce en infinitivo o perfecto en inglés, pero de momento no se me ocurre ningún contraejemplo.

The question wasn't why it isn't a gerund after "to" but what happened to the "for".

And many English infinitives don't include "to". Take

I have never asked you to make him stop playing chess.

Two infinitives.

Thanks, I have to translate a few sentences with that "pedir".

Thanks a lot. :)

I can see that you've a great charge of work accumulated in your desktop.
I hope that you finish soon your project.:)

Take care.

Yes, soon, too soon. :grumble: :worried:

Thanks. :)