¿qué tal?
/ˈke ˈtal/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "how about" is ¿qué tal?
¿qué tal? is used to make a suggestion or to ask for someone's opinion about a plan. When you want to suggest a specific noun, such as a movie or a coffee, you use ¿qué tal? followed by the indefinite article un or una. You can also use ¿qué te parece…? as a common alternative to ask for someone's opinion on a suggestion.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué tal? can mean "how about" when suggesting a plan, it is also the standard way to ask "how are you?" or "how is it going?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Y qué tal si is used to express "how about".
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding si to the phrase to create ¿qué tal si…?, you can make a suggestion starting with a conditional clause, similar to "what if…" in English.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈtal/
Did you know?
- The word tal in ¿qué tal? originally meant 'such' or 'so', making the literal word-for-word translation 'what such?' rather than 'how about'.
- The word qué descends from the Latin word quid, which is the same root used in the English phrase 'quid pro quo'.
- In Spain, ¿qué tal? is frequently used as a standalone greeting where no answer is actually expected, similar to a nod of the head.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué tal si hablamos sobre el proyecto mañana?How about we discuss the project tomorrow?
- ¿Qué tal si consideramos una colaboración conjunta?How about we consider a joint collaboration?
- ¿Qué le parece si programamos una reunión para la próxima semana?How about if we schedule a meeting for next week?
- ¿Qué le parece si evaluamos todas las opciones antes de tomar una decisión?How about if we evaluate all the options before making a decision?
- ¿Y si vamos al cine esta noche?How about we go to the movies tonight?
- ¿Y si organizamos una fiesta sorpresa para María?How about we throw a surprise party for Maria?
- ¿Qué te parece si salimos a pasear esta tarde?How about we go for a walk this afternoon?
- ¿Qué te parece si pedimos pizza para cenar?How about we order pizza for dinner?
- ¿Y qué tal si vamos al concierto el próximo viernes?How about we go to the concert next Friday?
- ¿Y qué tal si probamos el nuevo restaurante de la esquina?How about we try the new restaurant on the corner?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, tal) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, tal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
