Which one should you use?
While responde a la pregunta is the standard form, you may encounter variations depending on who you are addressing or the level of formality. For instance, responde la pregunta is a common way to say this in casual conversation, whereas responda a la pregunta is used for formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on the subject and tense. Use responde la pregunta in many dialects where the preposition 'a' is often omitted in casual speech. If you are giving a command to a group of people, use respondan a la pregunta. To express that someone answered the question in the past, use respondió a la pregunta.
How do you pronounce it?
/responde a la pɾeɡunta/
When do people say it?
If someone asks you to answer a question, you can respond with Claro to mean 'Of course' or En efecto to mean 'Indeed'.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, replying to a pregunta with a simple sí or no can be seen as curt or impolite. Instead, it is more common to answer by repeating the verb that was used in the original question.
- The verb preguntar used to form pregunta comes from the Vulgar Latin word praecūnctāre. It originally evolved from the Latin percontārī, which meant to inquire or examine thoroughly.
- The word pregunta is a deverbal noun, which means it is a noun created directly from the verb preguntar. This reflects a linguistic pattern in Spanish where the action and the object of the action share the same root.
Examples in context
- Por favor, responde a la pregunta de forma directa.Please, answer the question directly.
- Por favor, responde a la pregunta de la profesora.Please, answer the teacher's question.
- Si responde a la pregunta, sabremos la verdad.If she answers the question, we will know the truth.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are studying for a history exam.
- DanielElena, ¿sabes la respuesta?Elena, do you know the answer?
- ElenaNo estoy segura, pero intentaré responder a la pregunta.I am not sure, but I will try to answer the question.
- Daniel¡Eso es! Solo responde a la pregunta con calma.That's it! Just answer the question calmly.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel, lo intentaré.Thanks, Daniel, I will try.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, la, pregunta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
