Three different senses of “to ask” are expressed by three different Russian verbs:
Verb | Meaning | English Example | Russian Translation of Example |
задать | To present | Ask the question. | Задай вопрос. |
спросить | To question someone | Ask him what time it is. | Спроси его сколько сейчас времени. |
попросить | To request a service | Ask him to give us a lift. | Попроси чтобы он нас подвёз. |
Note the distinction between a request for a service (попросить) and a request for information only (спросить).
It is a common error of learners to say “спросить вопрос” in the mistaken belief that this means “to ask a question”. It actually means “to question a question” which is absurd and confusing. Instead you should say “задать вопрос” (to pose a question).