pero qué
/peɾo ke/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase pero qué means "but what".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of pero (but) and qué (what).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use this phrase in an exclamatory sense to express surprise or indignation, the qué must carry a written accent.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾo ke/
Did you know?
- The word pero actually comes from the Latin phrase 'per hoc', which literally means 'for this reason' or 'through this'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase pero qué can be used as a standalone exclamation of disbelief, functioning more like 'What the…!' than a literal question.
- While pero qué means 'but what', adding the word más to create pero qué más can shift the meaning to 'what else' or imply that a situation has reached a ridiculous limit.
Examples in context
- ¿Pero qué harás si no viene?But what will you do if he doesn't come?This sentence is useful for asking about a hypothetical future action regarding pero qué.Tatoeba #1331438 by Shishir, translation #39316 by CM
- De acuerdo, ¿pero qué hay del gerente?OK, but what about the manager?This sentence is useful for asking about the status of a person using pero qué.Tatoeba #1548021 by marcelostockle, translation #873817 by DJ_Saidez
- ¿Pero qué tiene que ver todo esto con Tatoeba?But what does all this have to do with Tatoeba?This sentence is useful for questioning the relevance of a subject using pero qué.Tatoeba #1725988 by marcelostockle, translation #1725880 by al_ex_an_der
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a messy kitchen after a party.
- María¿Pero qué pasó aquí?But what happened here?
- JavierSe cayó toda la comida al suelo.All the food fell on the floor.
- María¡Pero qué desastre!But what a disaster!
- JavierLo siento, María, fue un accidente.I'm sorry, María, it was an accident.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pero, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
