_El día es para trabajar, por eso hay luz._[2]
--TOMAYO Y BAUS.
3. The verb _to ask_ has five common translations. Meaning _to question_
or _to inquire_ it is rendered =preguntar=.
_"Are you asleep, Captain?" the widow asked, greatly alarmed._
=¿Duerme Vd., Capitán?--le preguntó muy alarmada la viuda.=--PEDRO DE
ALARCÓN.
_A girl came to the door asking for him._
=Vino a la puerta una muchacha preguntando por él.=--LOS QUINTERO.
(_a_) _To ask for_, _beg_, is translated =pedir a=.
_He had slipped into the kitchen to ask the cook for something to
eat._
=Se había deslizado en la cocina para pedir algo que comer a la
cocinera.=--BLASCO IBÁÑEZ.
_Note._--With =pedir= the thing asked for is the direct object, the
person of whom it is asked is the indirect, and is introduced by =a=.
Cf. English, "We begged a dollar from father."
(_b_) _To ask_ in the sense of _to request_ is rendered by =pedir= or
=rogar=, the latter being the more formal. Both verbs require the
subjunctive in the dependent verb.
_I asked the children not to make so much noise._
=Pedí a los niños que no hiciesen tanto ruido.=
_I asked Mr. Blanco to come and see me._
=Le rogué al señor Blanco que me viniese a ver (a visitar).=
(_c_) _To ask_, _invite_ is rendered =convidar= or =invitar=.
_They have asked us to dinner._
=Nos han convidado (invitado) a comer con ellos.=
(_d_) _To ask questions_ is rendered =hacer preguntas=.
_And finally he asked himself the same question, wondering that it
had not occurred to him before._
=Y por fin se hizo la misma pregunta, extrañando que no se le
hubiera ocurrido antes la idea.=--BLASCO IBÁÑEZ.
=4.= English _for_ as a preposition is rendered by =para= or =por=. It is
omitted before a non-emphatic personal pronoun object and after many
verbs.
_He bought it for me yesterday._
=Me lo compró ayer.=
_He bought it for me_ (for my sake).
=Lo compró por mí.===
_Wait for me._
=Espéreme.=
_Ask for it._
=Pídalo.=
_Look for them._
=Búsquelos.=
(_a_) _For_ is rendered =para= when it expresses destination,
purpose, use, future time, and to introduce a qualifying phrase.
_This is the train for Madrid._
=Este es el tren para Madrid.=
_She has enough money for her clothes._
=Tiene bastante dinero para sus vestidos (prendas de vestir).=
_This is a machine for cutting leather._
=Ésta es una máquina para cortar cuero.=
_I have an appointment for to-morrow._
=Tengo cita para mañana.=
_She plays the piano well for her age._
=Toca el piano bien para su edad.=
(_b_) Expressing exchange, cause, motive, or duration of time,
_for_ is rendered =por=.
_I gave him twenty-five dollars for his bicycle._
=Le dí veinticinco duros por su bicicleta.=
_For months at a time we did not see him._
=Por meses enteros no le habíamos visto.=
_They set fire to the house for fun._
=Por burla pegaron fuego a la casa.=
_We could not see the house for the smoke._
=No podíamos ver la casa por el humo.=
=5.= =EXERCISES=
(_a_) 1. La señora pregunta por la señorita. 2. Ruéguele que me lo
mande. 3. Pídame Vd. todo lo que quiera. 4. ¿Cuándo parte Vd. para
Europa? 5. Para su edad es un muchacho muy intelligente. 6. No sé
contestar a todas las preguntas que me hacen estos chicos. 7. Le dí mi
gramática española por su libro de lectura. 8. Para el almuerzo he
comprado tocino. 9. Lo hace todo por sus hermanos y no saben
agradecérselo. 10. Murió por la patria como yo muriera por ella.
(_b_) 1. I shall ask them to come and see me in the country. 2. I
promised my mother that I would ask you for some of your beautiful
roses. 3. Ask the children if they are hungry. 4. I will ask his mother
to ask him for it. 5. Shall we ask them to dinner for the day after
to-morrow? 6. Will you wait for me while I look for it? (For _will you_
say =Quiere Vd.=) 7. This is the book father bought for me in London. 8.
It is a beautiful book for the price. 9. If it wasn't for the dust, we
could see the horses. 10. Some friends have asked me to go to the
theater with them this evening. 11. In Spanish they call a typewriter a
"machine for writing." 12. They will sing for joy when they receive this
news.