de qué
/de ke/from spelling rules
The English phrase "of what" is translated into Spanish as de qué.
de qué is a phrase used to ask for the identity or nature of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition de (of/from) and the interrogative pronoun qué (what).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the informal expression ¿De qué va? is used to ask "what is it about?" or "what's up?"
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, when a preposition like de is required by a verb or noun, it must be placed before the interrogative qué in a question or indirect question.
How do you pronounce it?
/de ke/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget to include the preposition de before qué when the English translation requires "of what" (e.g., saying no sé qué trata instead of no sé de qué trata).
Did you know?
- The word qué shares its ancient roots with the English word 'what', as both descended from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷid.
- In some Latin American countries, saying ¿de qué? with a rising intonation is a common way to say 'what did you say?' or 'excuse me?' when a speaker didn't hear something.
- In Spanish, you cannot separate the preposition de from the word qué by placing it elsewhere in the sentence, a rule that often trips up English speakers who want to move the preposition to the end.
Examples in context
- Tengo miedo de qué vaya a decir el profesor.I am afraid of what the teacher will say.This sentence shows how to use de qué to express being afraid of a specific future action.Tatoeba #1602695 by marcelostockle, translation #321886 by CM
- Hay gente quien habla de sabiduría pero no tiene idea de qué es el respeto.There are people who speak of wisdom with no clue of what respect is.This sentence demonstrates using de qué to describe a lack of understanding of a concept.Tatoeba #4348014 by paradoxa4, translation #4347595 by paradoxa4
- ¿De qué valor es?Of what value is it?This sentence shows a direct question asking about the value of something.Tatoeba #1717361 by Espi, translation #42664 by orcrist
- ¿De qué se trata esta reunión?What is this meeting about?
- ¿De qué está hecho este postre?What is this dessert made of?
- ¿De qué va esa serie que estás viendo?What's that series you're watching about?
- ¿En qué consiste ese nuevo método de estudio?What does that new study method consist of?
- ¿De qué está hecha esta camiseta tan suave?What is this super soft shirt made of?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are at a cafe talking about a book.
- Sofía¿De qué trata ese libro?What is that book about?
- DanielEs una historia de misterio.It is a mystery story.
- Sofía¿De qué color es la portada?What color is the cover?
- DanielLa portada es de color rojo.The cover is red.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
