qué interesante
/ke inteɾesante/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "how interesting" is qué interesante.
qué interesante is an expression used to show that something is curious or attracts your attention.
What does it mean word for word?
The word qué functions here as an exclamatory "how" rather than the interrogative "what".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, exclamatory phrases like this are typically written with both an opening and a closing exclamation mark: ¡Qué interesante!
How do you pronounce it?
/ke inteɾesante/
Did you know?
- Depending on the tone and context, qué interesante is often used as a polite way to end a conversation or signal that a topic is no longer engaging, similar to how an English speaker might say 'that is interesting' while looking for an exit.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying qué interesante with a slightly descending intonation can be interpreted as sarcasm or skepticism, effectively meaning 'I do not believe you'.
- While 'qué interesante' is a perfectly valid way to express interest, using the word 'curioso' to mean 'interesting' can sometimes carry a slightly negative or suspicious connotation, implying that something is 'odd' rather than 'engaging'.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué interesante!How interesting!This example shows how to use qué interesante as an exclamation.Tatoeba #1901513 by hayastan, translation #1898371 by CK
- ¡Qué interesante es este libro!How interesting this book is!
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are discussing a new documentary at home.
- SofíaEl documental trata sobre el espacio.The documentary is about space.
- Daniel¡Qué interesante! ¿Lo viste ayer?How interesting! Did you see it yesterday?
- SofíaSí, Daniel, me encantó.Yes, Daniel, I loved it.
- DanielDebo verlo también.I should watch it too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
