¿cómo?
The English phrase 'do what' can be expressed in Spanish as ¿cómo? when used to ask for clarification.
¿cómo? is an informal expression used when you did not hear or understand what someone said.
Which one should you use?
While ¿Qué? literally translates to 'What?', using it as a standalone question to ask someone to repeat themselves can sound aggressive or confrontational in many Spanish-speaking contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿cómo? is common in informal speech, but it can sound abrupt or slightly rude in very formal settings. If you want to be more polite than the informal ¿cómo?, you should use ¿Perdón? or ¿Mande? in Mexico.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, ¿Mande? is a polite alternative used when asking someone to repeat themselves.
Did you know?
- In Mexico, the polite alternative ¿mande? comes from the verb mandar, meaning 'to command'. It historically implies that the speaker is ready to follow an order from the person they are addressing.
- In some regions, repeating ¿cómo, cómo? rapidly can signal that the speaker is not just confused, but is actively shocked or incredulous about what they heard.
- The use of ¿mande? is so culturally specific to Mexico that users of other Spanish dialects often find it confusing or overly formal.
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking in a noisy room.
- MaríaVamos al cine mañana.Let's go to the movies tomorrow.
- Javier¿Cómo? Hay mucho ruido aquí.What? It's very noisy in here.
- María¡Dije que vamos al cine!I said we are going to the movies!
- JavierAh, ¡sí, me parece bien!Oh, yes, that sounds good to me!
