chiede

Chiede is the third-person singular present indicative form of chiedere, the Italian verb meaning to ask or to request. It is used when the subject is he, she, or a formal you (Lei). The base verb is chiedere, whose infinitive is chiede, asks, asks for.

Etymology and pronunciation: chiedere derives from Latin quaerere, meaning to seek or to ask. In Italian, the initial qu- became ch- before e and i, yielding the spelling chiedere to represent the hard /k/ sound before front vowels. The form chiede follows this stem in the present tense.

Usage and constructions: Chiede typically takes a direct object to indicate what is being asked, for example, chiede una spiegazione (he asks for an explanation) or chiede aiuto (he asks for help). It can also govern a person with a pronoun: chiede a Maria di venire (he asks Maria to come). For requests involving a clause of desire or necessity, it can be followed by di + infinitive, or by che + subjunctive in dependent clauses: chiede di partire; chiede che venga. The verb is commonly used in phrases like chiedere spiegazioni, chiedere aiuto, chiedere il permesso.

Conjugation and related forms: The present tense forms are io chiedo, tu chiedi, lui/lei chiede, noi chiediamo, voi chiedete, loro chiedono. Beyond the present, chiedere forms regularly across tenses (chiedi, chiese, chiedrò, chiederebbe, ecc.). Related verbs include richiedere (to require or to demand) and the noun richiesta (a request).

See also: richiedere, richiesta, domanda; synonyms and related terms describe similar acts of asking or requesting in Italian.