cómo hacer una pregunta
/komo aθeɾ una pɾeɡunta/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "how to ask a question" is cómo hacer una pregunta.
When you want to use question words themselves, you can use qué for "what", dónde for "where", cuándo for "when", por qué for "why" and cómo for "how". Additionally, you can add question tags to the end of a sentence to mean "right?" using ¿verdad? or "isn't it true?" using ¿no es cierto?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built literally as "how to make a question" because Spanish uses the verb hacer (to make/do) rather than preguntar (to ask) in this specific construction.
Which one should you use?
While cómo hacer una pregunta focuses on the act of posing a specific question, cómo preguntar is a more concise way to say "how to ask" in a general sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, cómo functions as an interrogative adverb meaning "how" and it is used here in an indirect question structure.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking too many 'preguntas' in a formal setting can be seen as a challenge to authority rather than simple curiosity.
- While English uses 'ask' for both the act of questioning and requesting something, Spanish distinguishes between preguntar for information and pedir for requests.
- Spanish uses an inverted question mark ¿ at the beginning of questions to signal the rising intonation immediately to the reader.
Examples in context
- ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?Where is the library?
- ¿Cuándo empieza la película?When does the movie start?
- ¿Por qué llora ella?Why is she crying?
- No sé cómo hacer una pregunta.I don't know how to ask a question.
- ¿Me enseñas cómo hacer una pregunta?Will you teach me how to ask a question?
- Él me explicó cómo hacer una pregunta.He explained to me how to ask a question.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are studying for an English exam.
- AlejandroMaría, ¿sabes cómo hacer una pregunta en inglés?María, do you know how to ask a question in English?
- MaríaSí, Alejandro, solo necesitas usar un auxiliar.Yes, Alejandro, you just need to use an auxiliary.
- AlejandroGracias, es un poco difícil.Thanks, it is a little difficult.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, lo aprenderás pronto.Don't worry, you will learn it soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
