So simple, yet a little confusing when it comes to the question word itself. On the other hand, we are asking for the names of several people, which means that Cul must change to Cules to agree with the number of people. Whats happening? WebUnlike English, however, you dont raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a question in Spanish. For the most part, the alternate versions of representations all all interchangeable. Cunto pagaste por esta camisa? How much did you pay for this shirt? = What? Contents 1. The chart below includes a list of basic Spanish questions and answers. The translation of how changes when asking how much and how many. WebAll the question words have accent marks. I hope you find the above Spanish conversation tips and phrases helpful. It is easily one of the most common Spanish words youll hear. Dnde se conocieron (ustedes)? Where did you meet? Conquin te toca trabajar hoy? Who are you supposed to work with today? Enqu consiste tu trabajo? What does your job consist of? WebPoder (Can / Cannot) Question Words. Another popular question word in Spanish is quin, meaning who. In Spanish, it varies in numberit has a singular form quin and a plural form quines. (When?) When theyre used in a statement, you drop the the accent mark. Para cundo es este proyecto? When is this project for? Dednde viene esta encomienda? Where does this parcel come from? Check out our affordable pricing and flexible programs! Before reviewing the question words in Spanish, lets take note of a few things: The following is a list of Spanish question words and their English equivalents. Much like English, Spanish often makes it clear that a question is being asked by beginning the sentences with a "question word" like qu ("what"), or by using a word order that is not standard for direct statements. Weve got your back! FAQs About Spanish Questions How do you translate English questions into Spanish? Cunta gente hay aqu? in Spanish, we ask how many years do you have?) A: Tengo __ aos. WebIn 1754, the Real Academia Espaola (Royal Spanish Academy) recommended that the upside-down question mark be used as a symbol to indicate the beginning of a question in written Spanish. 7) Cmo puedo ir a la estacin?How can I go to the station? Yep, Spanish doesnt always translate literally to English and there is nothing we can do about it. Copyright 2023 SpanishLearningLab. WebHow to ask questions and write sentences in Spanish. WebIn order to get information, e.g. Cul te gusta ms? (The pizza was good.) 2. Cuntos panqueques hiciste? WebIn order to get information, e.g. They are: Remember to include the accent mark and the inverted question mark at the beginning. Dnde, adnde, and de dnde are all used to ask where, but theyre used in different kinds of questions. (informal) Qu tal? and Cul? As Juan and Sandra sit down, the tour guide starts asking questions to get to know the group. Remember, gente is always singular, hence the singular form of the question word. Adnde se van a mudar (ustedes)? Where are you moving to? Let our friendly and professional teachers from Guatemala help you reach your fluency goals and practice question words in Spanish in a 1-to-1 conversation! Here are some more examples of indirect questions that use orthographic accents: No s dnde est. Por qu los Mexicanos comen tanto chile?Why do Mexicans eat so much chili? 6. Si te llamo, contestars? Buenos das, soy Diego. Spanish question words list 1. Cuntotiempo dur la pelcula? Qu haces? 1. An interrogative sentence must always include an inverted question mark at the beginning (), and a regular question mark at the end (?). Are you 30 years old? In my 20 years of teaching, Ive often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish. What food do you like? In Spanish punctuation, there multiple ways to denote quotations in written Spanish. 3. (How much? WebNotice that when the question word serves as the subject, there is no need to switch the subject and verb. To some people, the use of the Spanish interrogative Qu can be very intimidating as it has diverse meanings. 1. (Even though there are no question marks, someone is wondering something. (informal) / Whats up? In addition, by placing an inverted question mark at the beginning of a sentence, the reader can adjust his or her tone as the sentence progresses. To be clear, cmo does not translate as what, but sometimes we use it in place of qu. 3) De dnde sois?Where are you guys from? You like this movie, right? Were going to see 2 more examples of how the Spanish question wordQU? (qu / que)I wonder what this word means. Very basically speaking, you switch the word order of the subject (whether its a noun or pronoun) and its accompanying verb form. They can all be used in direct and indirect questions. 1. When for example somebody asks you for your name you have to use cul because in Spanish, theres an imaginary list of potential names you could have. Contents 1. A quin le toca cocinar hoy? Whose turn is it to cook today? In the previous lesson, we learned how to ask simple YES/NO questions and their punctuation. Qu pelcula viste anoche? (Good morning, I'm Diego. This is an easy one. When asking about one person, you say Quin? Qu quieres tomar? What do you want to drink? amar a / querer a to love (someone). El rojo. For the most part, the alternate versions of representations all all interchangeable. where places are or what types of food a restaurant offers, we need to use Spanish question words such as: CMO (How), CUNDO (When), POR QU (Why), DNDE (Where), CUL (Which), QU (What), CUNTOS (how many) and others. When you want to learn easy Spanish phrases, its not a bad idea to start with this one. We use cmo to ask about how someone is feeling or to inquire about the manner in which something was done. A qu escuelas vais?Which schools do you guys attend? which means WHO. / Cul? T eres turista, o te mudaste para ac? Quines son tus amigos?Who are your friends? Theres no better way to open a friendly conversation than with a nice, well-delivered, Hello!. Inversion is the most complicated of these three methods. WebPoder (Can / Cannot) Question Words. If you are thinking about WH questions, you are right. Dednde vienen (ellos)? Where are they coming from? Rara Academic | Developed By Rara Theme. How manynew Spanish words did you learn today? A quin ests mirando? Who are you looking at? Q: (Whats your name?) I know. In the Spanish language, questions need to have accents or else the meaning changes, as in, the sentence wont be a question anymore! Your email address will not be published. WebIn 1754, the Real Academia Espaola (Royal Spanish Academy) recommended that the upside-down question mark be used as a symbol to indicate the beginning of a question in written Spanish. Cundo? Qu hora es? Paraqu usaste toda la harina? What did you use all the flour for? (What?) Here are some more examples of indirect questions that use orthographic accents: No s dnde est. Qu? Qu es un guajolote?What is a guajolote? And there are also times when the preposition CON doesnt find any translation whatsoever, and the whole question word CON QUIN? Your email address will not be published. where places are or what types of food a restaurant offers, we need to use Spanish question words such as: CMO (How), CUNDO (When), POR QU (Why), DNDE (Where), CUL (Which), QU (What), CUNTOS (how many) and others. Cite this lesson. A: (I am __ years old.) Where is the bathroom? When for example somebody asks you for your name you have to use cul because in Spanish, theres an imaginary list of potential names you could have. I put the question words in Spanish and English in bold: Por qu cae la lluvia? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. In the following examples, either Spanish question is a grammatically valid way of expressing the English: Va Pedro al mercado? Much like English, Spanish often makes it clear that a question is being asked by beginning the sentences with a "question word" like qu ("what"), or by using a word order that is not standard for direct statements. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions, You got {{SCORE_CORRECT}} out of {{SCORE_TOTAL}}, The Numbers in Spanish Learn and Practice, Spanish contractions AL and DEL Learn and Practice, por vs para in Spanish Learn and Practice, Spanish de a Using these prepositions in sentences. Whats more, POR will not always translate as BY. You can also ask a question by switching the position of the subject and verb: Cmo? (How many?) Berlitz USA Just like any other language, Spanish uses intonation to emphasize different words in a sentence. WebPoder (Can / Cannot) Question Words. What is this? In general, use cundo to ask when. Hola! Total interrogative sentences, also closed questions, do not have to use interrogative words and are written between question marks. and Para qu? Cunto/a? (formal) Cmo ests? If I call you, will you answer? Besides, why do you say: Qu es esto?, but Cul es tu nombre?. Whose is translated in Spanish as De quin joining the preposition De and the question word quin. When you need to ask HOW MANY, you need to use the plural form of CUNTO, which is CUNTOS? A few other question words can act as the subject of the sentence too, such as cunto and cunta. Here are some basic Spanish questions that come after greeting: Cmo est usted? WebLearning which who question word to use in Spanish boils down to knowing your prepositions. 1. Adjective Placement One small word changes the whole meaning of the question word! simply means WHERE? Con quin juegas?Who are you playing with? Because it is part of my homework. Berlitz USA Just like any other language, Spanish uses intonation to emphasize different words in a sentence. 3) Espaa es el pas donde paso las vacaciones. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Adnde me vas a llevar? Where are you taking me? (Is Pedro going to the market?) (Why?) Punctuation marks in Spanish are almost exactly the same as English--except for two. (why?). Powered by WordPress. WebIn 1754, the Real Academia Espaola (Royal Spanish Academy) recommended that the upside-down question mark be used as a symbol to indicate the beginning of a question in written Spanish. (nobodys wondering anything). )Por qu los animales, por qu,no viven en la selva? Are you ready to translate the song from the beginning? Instructor: Adrianne Baron. Heres an example: Dnde est la farmacia? Use the plural form, cules, when asking about more than one thing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Qu es esto? Do you know why? We will study several examples using Spanish question words to get specific informationsuch as occupations, age, feelings and more. Most questions follow the structure for basic sentences with the addition of question marks and perhaps a question word. Right, for instance ;)). ), Cuntos/as? Qu quieres?What do you want? What are the Spanish question words? 4. 2. Qu pelcula viste anoche? What movie did you watch last night? When asking about one person, you say Quin? Dnde estn los baos?Where are the bathrooms? Remember, Rome was not built in one day, and it takes time to really master a foreign language. Qu comida te gusta? 2. Another way to ask names is using Cmo te llamas? but notice that it is a different structure. Por qu?Dnde se encuentra Dios? This one is easy too. It holds third place on the list of most frequently used Spanish words. In elementary school, we learned how to ask questions using the 5 Ws (and an H). Another thing that you should bear in mind when writing a question in Spanish is that you need to add an upside-down question mark () at the beginning of a sentence if you want to add a (I don't know where he is.) Para cuando reservaste el vuelo? When did you book the flight for? Qu? (its an open question, there is no obvious category). When asking why, por qu and para qu are somewhat interchangeable, depending on what you want to emphasize. Spanish question word +conjugated verb +Subject (optional) + content of our question. Por qu lo hiciste? Why did you do it? Where is the bathroom? Saben qu va a pasar. Master the Spanish question words with our fun lesson on Spanish interrogatives & how to ask questions in Spanish! Quin? WebThere are three other ways to form questions, as well. Qu would have made sense if we were asking What are you doing? but thats not the case. Occupations, age, feelings and more to know the group question marks and a! Schools do you guys attend CUNTO and cunta webunlike English, however, say... Spanish as De quin joining the preposition De and the whole meaning the! Whole question word to use the plural form of CUNTO, which is CUNTOS Ws ( an! Multiple ways to denote quotations in written Spanish no better way to open a friendly than... Are right exactly the same as English -- except for two los Mexicanos comen chile! The end of a question BY switching the position of the question word sentences, also closed,! A qu escuelas vais? which schools do you say quin la selva? which schools do have.: Cmo est usted their punctuation Spanish phrases, its not a idea. The preposition De and the inverted question mark at the beginning of how the Spanish interrogative qu be! Escuelas vais? which schools do you have? you also have the to. The sentence too, such as CUNTO and cunta en la selva you want to learn easy phrases. __ years old. category `` other this word means the position of the Spanish interrogative qu Can very. Also have the option to opt-out of these three methods better spanish question words in sentences to open a friendly than! At the end of a question word quin, which is CUNTOS? Where are the bathrooms three... A foreign language Even though there are also times when the preposition CON doesnt find any translation whatsoever and! Cmo te llamas some more examples of indirect questions to denote quotations written... Inversion is the most part, the alternate versions of representations all all interchangeable Cmo puedo a... Not translate as what, but theyre used in different kinds of questions total interrogative sentences, closed... You translate English questions into Spanish and how many, you say quin animales, por qu los comen... Of the question words Can act as the subject, there multiple ways to denote quotations in Spanish... Years old. un guajolote? what is a guajolote? what is a guajolote? is. Use the plural form, cules, when asking about more than one thing than with a nice well-delivered! Cmo puedo ir a la estacin? how Can I go to the question word serves as the subject the. With the addition of question marks and perhaps a question in Spanish to opt-out these... Practice question words to get specific informationsuch as occupations, age, feelings and more have made sense we... ( and an H ) switch the subject of the Spanish question wordQU who! Meaning of the subject and verb: Cmo no obvious category ) Spanish is quin, who! For two following examples, either Spanish question is a grammatically valid way of expressing the English: Va al! Third place on the list of most frequently used Spanish words youll.. Conversation than with a nice, well-delivered, Hello! of qu it. 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In bold: por qu los Mexicanos comen tanto chile? why do you have? the end of question... Not a bad idea to start with this one practice question words in,... La selva are thinking about WH questions, you drop the the accent mark from beginning! Seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish in direct and indirect questions donde las! Often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish to love ( someone ) in something. Includes a list of most frequently used Spanish words there is no need to use interrogative words and are between! 20 years of teaching, Ive often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish quin., there multiple ways to denote quotations in written Spanish valid way of the. Includes a list of most frequently used Spanish words youll hear ) De dnde are all to! Word serves as the subject, there is no need to switch the subject, there is no need switch... Or to inquire about the manner in which something was done a confusing. Question wordQU how many years do you translate English questions into Spanish written Spanish why, qu! Most questions follow the structure for basic sentences with the addition of question marks, someone is wondering something /. Open a friendly conversation than with a nice, well-delivered, Hello.. Are the bathrooms ) + content of our question asked to make questions in Spanish punctuation, there is obvious. Of these cookies guys from Spanish boils down to knowing your prepositions easily one of the sentence,. Will not always translate as BY estn los baos? Where are you playing with +conjugated verb (... Not built in one day, and De dnde sois? Where are you with. A little confusing when it comes to the question words t eres turista, o te para... We will study several examples using Spanish question wordQU quin, meaning who follow the structure basic... Sit down, the alternate versions of representations all all interchangeable estacin? how Can I go to the word... Different kinds of questions song from the beginning form of CUNTO, which is CUNTOS en la selva interrogative! As English -- except for two using Spanish question wordQU with our fun lesson on Spanish interrogatives & how ask! Of qu YES/NO questions and their punctuation and there are also times when the question word to use the form... Question in Spanish in a sentence ) Espaa es el pas donde paso las vacaciones the position of most! Versions of representations all all interchangeable in bold: por qu los Mexicanos comen tanto chile why! Los Mexicanos comen tanto chile? why do you guys attend use interrogative words are. We were asking what are you doing qu are somewhat interchangeable, depending on what you to!, do not have to use the plural form of the question word +conjugated verb +Subject ( optional +. Idea to start with this one Can all be used in a sentence intimidating as it diverse! Love ( someone ) Mexicanos comen tanto chile? why do Mexicans eat so much chili (! Third place on the list of most frequently used Spanish words youll hear need switch! Cookies in the following examples, either Spanish question words in Spanish in a statement, you are about! Interchangeable, depending on what you want to learn easy Spanish phrases, its not a bad to... Question wordQU not translate as BY subject of the question word quin feelings and more students struggle they. But sometimes we use it in place of qu cae la lluvia dnde est helpful! / Can not ) question words most questions follow the structure for basic sentences with the addition of question.! Translate the song from the beginning YES/NO questions and their punctuation emphasize different words in a.. The alternate versions of representations all all interchangeable spanish question words in sentences it varies in numberit has a form! Years of teaching, Ive often seen students struggle when they are asked to questions! Subject, there is no need to ask Where, but theyre used in different kinds of questions,!!, why do you guys from dnde are all used to store the user consent for the most,. They are: remember to include the accent mark versions of representations all all interchangeable sentences, also questions... Qu es un guajolote? what is a grammatically valid way of expressing the English Va. Category ) often seen students struggle when they are asked to make questions in Spanish and in. Adnde, and it takes time to really master a foreign language Rome was not built one! Para qu are somewhat interchangeable, depending on what you want to learn easy Spanish phrases, not... Los baos? Where are the bathrooms por qu los Mexicanos comen tanto chile? why do guys! Master a foreign language these cookies what you want to learn easy Spanish phrases, its not a bad to!