oye, adivina qué
The English phrase "hey, guess what" is translated into Spanish as oye, adivina qué.
This expression is used to introduce a piece of surprising or exciting news to someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of oye (listen/hey), adivina (guess) and qué (what).
Which one should you use?
While oye is used here to grab someone's attention, using escucha would be a more direct command to pay attention to specific sounds or speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form oye, adivina qué is informal because it uses the tú imperative. For a formal setting, you should use the usted forms oiga, adivine qué.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word adivina is the imperative command form of the verb adivinar for the informal tú subject.
Did you know?
- The word adivinar can also mean 'to predict' or 'to foresee' the future, linking the act of guessing a secret to the act of prophecy.
- The word qué descends from the Latin word quid, which is the same root used in the English expression 'quid pro quo'.
- While oye literally means 'listen', using it to grab attention can be seen as rude or overly aggressive in some Spanish-speaking cultures if used with a stranger.
Examples in context
- ¡Oye, adivina qué! Ayer me gané un viaje a España.Hey, guess what! I won a trip to Spain yesterday.
- ¡Oye, adivina qué! Me gané la lotería.Hey, guess what! I won the lottery.
- Oye, adivina qué, me dieron el trabajo.Hey, guess what, they gave me the job.
- Oye, adivina qué, ganamos la lotería.Hey, guess what, we won the lottery.
- ¡Oye, adivina qué! ¡Nos casamos!Hey, guess what! We're getting married!
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are meeting at a cafe.
- JavierHola Elena, oye, adivina qué.Hi Elena, hey, guess what.
- Elena¿Qué pasó, Javier?What happened, Javier?
- Javier¡Me gané la lotería!I won the lottery!
- Elena¡No puede ser, qué increíble!No way, that's incredible!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oye, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
