qué tan bajo
/ke tan baxo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'how low' is translated as qué tan bajo.
The phrase is used to ask about a specific level or degree of low height or value.
Which one should you use?
While qué tan bajo is used to ask about the degree or level of something, qué bajo is often used as an exclamation to express surprise at how low something is.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective bajo must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use qué tan baja if the subject is feminine, qué tan bajos if the subject is masculine plural and qué tan bajas if the subject is feminine plural.
Did you know?
- The word bajo can also function as a preposition meaning 'under'. This creates a linguistic link between the state of being low and the position of being underneath something.
- When used as a noun, el bajo can refer to the lowest part of a garment or the hem of a dress or skirt.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, qué tan is primarily used in questions. Using it in a statement can sound like a translation from English, as locals often prefer cuán or lo in formal writing.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué tan bajo quieres el volumen de la música?How low do you want the music volume to be?
- ¿Hasta qué nivel se considera bajo el flujo de clientes?At what level is the customer flow considered low?
- ¿Qué tan bajo es el techo?How low is the ceiling?
- ¿Qué tan bajo es el precio de la casa?How low is the price of the house?
- ¿Qué tan bajo puede estar el nivel del agua?How low can the water level be?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking at a new apartment.
- Alejandro¿Qué tan bajo es el techo de la cocina?How low is the kitchen ceiling?
- SofíaEs bastante bajo, pero me gusta.It is quite low, but I like it.
- AlejandroNo creo que sea un problema para nosotros.I don't think it will be a problem for us.
- SofíaTienes razón, Alejandro.You are right, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
