consultar

To consult — to ask an expert ("consultar a un médico") or to look something up ("consultar el diccionario"). It implies actively seeking information or advice, rather than passively receiving it.

• Deberías consultar a un abogado antes de firmar. — You should consult a lawyer before signing.
• Voy a consultar el mapa antes de salir. — I'm going to check the map before leaving.
• Consulté varias fuentes antes de escribir el artículo. — I consulted several sources before writing the article.

Learners sometimes use preguntar where consultar fits better — preguntar is a quick question to anyone, while consultar implies seeking out an authority or reference source specifically.

• expression "Consultarlo con la almohada" — A well-documented, widely used Spanish idiom meaning to sleep on a decision before making it — built directly on consultar, treating the pillow as a metaphorical advisor one turns to before deciding something important.