adivina qué
/adiˌbina ˈke/
The English phrase "guess what" is translated into Spanish as adivina qué.
This phrase is used to dramatize the unsurprising.
Meaning: used to dramatize the unsurprising (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb adivina (guess) and the interrogative pronoun qué (what).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing more than one person, you should use the plural imperative form adivinen qué.
How do you pronounce it?
/adiˌbina ˈke/
Did you know?
- The word adivinar is related to the Latin divinare, meaning to perceive by inspiration, which is also the root of the English word 'divination'.
- While adivina qué is a direct translation, a person might use the word imagínate instead to achieve the same dramatic effect of 'imagine this'.
- The word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which later became the root of the English word 'quid pro quo'.
Examples in context
- Adivina qué me pasó.Guess what happened to me.This sentence shows how to use adivina qué to introduce something that happened to you.Tatoeba #1603704 by marcelostockle, translation #250047 by CK
- Adivina qué tengo en la mano.Guess what I'm holding in my hand.This sentence shows how to use adivina qué to describe something you are holding.Tatoeba #1748272 by Shishir, translation #1553502 by CK
- ¡Adivina qué!Guess what!This sentence shows how to use adivina qué as an exclamation.Tatoeba #3256116 by marcelostockle, translation #2140893 by freddy1
- Adivine qué, señor Rodríguez, ¡he ganado la lotería!Guess what, Mr. Rodríguez, I've won the lottery!
- Adivina qué, ¡voy a tener un hijo!Guess what, I'm going to have a baby!
- Oye, sabes qué, me encontré con nuestro antiguo profesor en el supermercadoHey, guess what, I ran into our old teacher at the supermarket
- Mira vos, gané entradas para el concierto de mi banda favoritaGuess what, I won tickets to my favorite band's concert
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are sitting in a cafe.
- SofíaAdivina qué, ya tengo el nuevo trabajo.Guess what, I already have the new job.
- Mateo¡Qué buena noticia, Sofía!That's great news, Sofía!
- SofíaGracias, estoy muy feliz.Thanks, I am very happy.
- MateoTe lo mereces, te esforzaste mucho.You deserve it, you worked very hard.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guess what” translations and entries adivina qué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
