Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| qué | /ˈke/ |
| cuál | /ˈkwal/ |
The most common and straightforward way to say "what" is ¿Qué? For informal purposes, you might hear ¿Qué cosa? to mean "what" or "what thing."
Which one should you use?
While qué is used to ask for a definition or to ask "what" about a noun, cuál is used when choosing from a group of options and is often translated as "which".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an interrogative pronoun, qué must always carry a written accent mark. Additionally, other forms can begin an exclamation, such as menudo, vaya or (pero) qué. The phrase ¿qué? can also be used as an interjection to mean "come again"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using qué when you should use cuál to ask for specific information like an address or a phone number. For example, you should say ¿Cuál es tu número? instead of ¿Qué es tu número?
When do people say it?
In informal settings, you may hear ¿Qué tal? used to imply "what's up?" or "what's new?"
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, saying ¿Qué? with a rising intonation can be perceived as blunt or rude, so people use ¿Cómo? to politely ask someone to repeat themselves.
- The Spanish word cuál is a close linguistic relative of the English word 'qualify', both stemming from roots meaning 'of what sort'.
- The Spanish word qué shares a common ancestor with the English word 'what' through the Latin 'quid'.
Examples in context
- ¿Y a mí qué?So what?Tatoeba #2008103 by Shishir, translation #1340 by Sbgodin
- Sé de qué va.I know what it's about.Tatoeba #5645606 by arh, translation #5636517 by CK
- ¿Qué vas a ser?What are you going to be?Tatoeba #1225847 by wallebot, translation #16262 by AlanF_US
- 6065 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about a movie.
- Lucía¿Qué quieres ver hoy, Alejandro?What do you want to see today, Alejandro?
- AlejandroNo lo sé, ¿tú qué sugieres?I don't know, what do you suggest?
- LucíaPodemos ver una comedia.We could watch a comedy.
- Alejandro¡Qué buena idea!What a great idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries qué, cuál, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuál, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
