¿de qué tamaño es?
The English phrase "how big is it?" is translated into Spanish as ¿de qué tamaño es?
This phrase is a question used to inquire about the physical size or dimensions of an object. You may also use ¿cuánto mide? as a common alternative, which translates to "how much does it measure?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿de qué tamaño es? literally translates to "of what size is it?"
Which one should you use?
While ¿de qué tamaño es? focuses on asking for specific dimensions, the phrase ¿qué tan grande es? is used when focusing more on the degree of largeness.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask about the size of multiple objects, change the verb from es to son, resulting in ¿de qué tamaño son?
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, asking ¿cuánto mide? is the standard way to ask for a person's height, whereas ¿de qué tamaño es? would sound strange when applied to a human.
- The Spanish word qué is inherited from the Latin quid, which is the root of the English word 'quid' used as slang for a pound sterling.
- The word tamaño comes from the Latin phrase tam magnus, which literally means 'so big'.
Examples in context
- Si no te importa, ¿qué tamaño tiene la mesa que te gustaría comprar?If you don't mind, what size does the table you would like to buy have?
- ¿Qué tan grande es tu nuevo televisor?How big is your new television?
- ¿De qué tamaño estamos hablando para el nuevo sofá?What size are we talking about for the new couch?
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are discussing a new table for the living room.
- DanielElena, encontré una mesa muy bonita.Elena, I found a very nice table.
- Elena¿De qué tamaño es?How big is it?
- DanielEs pequeña, ideal para el rincón.It is small, ideal for the corner.
- ElenaEntonces es perfecta para nosotros.Then it is perfect for us.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, es, qué, tamaño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
