qué padre
/ke padɾe/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase 'how cool' is expressed as qué padre.
Depending on the region and the level of formality, other expressions may be more appropriate.
Which one should you use?
While qué padre is used in Mexico, qué guay is the equivalent expression used in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations for 'how cool' include: qué padre in Mexico, qué guay in Spain, chévere in countries such as Colombia and Venezuela and ¡Qué copado! in Argentina. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, you can also use ¡Qué buena onda! to mean 'what a good vibe!' to express that something is cool.
How do you pronounce it?
/ke padɾe/
Did you know?
- In Mexico, the word padre literally translates to 'father', making the phrase qué padre a curious way to describe something as 'how father' to an outsider.
- The expression qué buena onda uses the word 'onda', which means 'wave', to describe a 'cool vibe'.
- In Argentina, qué copado is common, but the word copado can also mean 'full' or 'occupied' in different contexts.
Examples in context
- ¡Acabo de conseguir entradas para el concierto de mi banda favorita! ¡Qué guay!I just got tickets to my favorite band's concert! How cool!
- Me compré una moto nueva. ¡Qué chévere!I bought a new motorcycle. How cool!
- Mi amiga me invitó a un concierto gratis. ¡Qué buena onda!My friend invited me to a free concert. How cool!
- ¡Qué padre!How cool!
Example conversation
Lucía shows Daniel a new photo of her dog.
- LucíaMira mi perro en el parque.Look at my dog in the park.
- Daniel¡Qué padre se ve!How cool he looks!
- LucíaSí, le encanta correr.Yes, he loves to run.
- DanielEs una foto muy bonita.It is a very pretty photo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
