¿Alguien habla español?
/ˈalɡjen ˈabla espaˈɲol/word by word
The English phrase "does anyone speak spanish?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Alguien habla español?
This question is used to find out if any person in a group is able to speak the Spanish language.
What does it mean word for word?
This singular form is used because it agrees with the singular pronoun Alguien.
Which one should you use?
You can also invert the word order to say ¿Habla alguien español? without changing the meaning.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, names of languages such as español are not capitalized unless they start a sentence. Because alguien is a singular pronoun, the verb must be in the third-person singular form habla.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈalɡjen ˈabla espaˈɲol/
Did you know?
- The word español is likely based on a Punic term meaning 'coast of hyraxes'.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola a todos! ¿Alguien habla español? Necesitamos traducir este documento importante.Hello, everyone! Does anyone speak Spanish? We need to translate this important document.
Example conversation
Mateo is lost in a foreign city and approaches María.
- MateoPerdone, ¿alguien habla español?Excuse me, does anyone speak Spanish?
- MaríaSí, yo hablo español. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?Yes, I speak Spanish. How can I help you?
- MateoGracias, estoy un poco perdido.Thank you, I am a little lost.
- MaríaNo se preocupe, yo le ayudo.Don't worry, I will help you.
