a qué distancia
/a ke distanθja/from spelling rules
The English phrase "how far" is translated into Spanish as a qué distancia.
Meaning: what distance (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, a qué distancia translates to "at what distance".
Which one should you use?
While a qué distancia is used for precision, qué tan lejos is a common alternative used primarily in Latin America. In many contexts, particularly when traveling, native speakers often use cuánto falta to ask how much distance or time remains until a destination.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Qué tan lejos is primarily used in Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "how far from [place]", you must add the preposition de after the phrase, resulting in a qué distancia de.
How do you pronounce it?
/a ke distanθja/
Did you know?
- If you use a qué distancia to ask for directions, you might receive a measurement in time rather than kilometers. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, people naturally measure distance by how many minutes it takes to arrive.
- The preposition a in a qué distancia is a descendant of the Latin 'ad', which also gave English the prefix 'ad-' as seen in words like 'adhere'.
- In some Latin American dialects, qué tan can be used with adjectives to express degree, such as qué tan grande for 'how big'. This structure is rare in the Spanish spoken in Spain.
Examples in context
- ¿A qué distancia está el pueblo?How far is it to town?This sentence is useful for asking about the distance to a town using a qué distancia.Tatoeba #7901096 by arh, translation #7897748 by CK
- ¿A qué distancia está el aeropuerto?How far is it to the airport?This sentence is useful for asking about the distance to the airport using a qué distancia.Tatoeba #452055 by Shishir, translation #18189 by CK
- ¿A qué distancia está de Nueva York?How far is it to New York?This sentence is useful for asking about the distance to New York using a qué distancia.Tatoeba #1333707 by Shishir, translation #35885 by CK
- ¿A qué distancia está el aeropuerto desde aquí?At what distance is the airport from here?
- ¿Cuánto falta para llegar al centro comercial?How far is it to the mall?
- ¿Qué tan lejos queda la estación de autobuses?How far is the bus station?
- ¿A cuánta distancia está la playa desde aquí?At how much distance is the beach from here?
- ¿Qué tan lejos está el restaurante de tu casa?How far is the restaurant from your house?
- ¿A cuánta distancia queda la estación de tren?At how much distance is the train station?
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking at a map of the city.
- Alejandro¿A qué distancia está el museo?How far is the museum?
- SofíaEstá a diez minutos caminando.It is ten minutes away walking.
- AlejandroParece muy cerca de aquí.It seems very close to here.
- SofíaSí, podemos ir a pie.Yes, we can go on foot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, distancia, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
