qué pasa
/ˌke ˈpasa/
The English phrase "wagwan" can be translated to Spanish as qué pasa.
The phrase qué pasa is an informal way to ask "What's up?" or "What's happening?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
¿Qué onda? is a popular Mexican expression that translates to "What's up?" or "What's going on?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌke ˈpasa/
Did you know?
- While qué pasa is a greeting, the word pasa on its own means 'raisin'. This comes from the Latin 'passa', referring to a 'spread' or dried grape.
- While qué pasa is a standard informal greeting, in some Caribbean Spanish-speaking regions, you might hear people use qué lo qué to mean the exact same thing.
- In Spain, if you say qué pasa with a rising intonation, it can sometimes function as a rhetorical exclamation of surprise rather than a literal question about what is happening.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué pasa por aquí?Hi! What's happening around here?
- ¿Qué pasa, amigo?What's up, friend?
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo run into each other on the street.
- Lucía¿Qué pasa, Mateo?What's up, Mateo?
- MateoNada especial, Lucía. ¿Y tú?Nothing special, Lucía. And you?
- LucíaTodo bien, solo voy al cine.Everything's good, I'm just going to the cinema.
- Mateo¡Qué bien! Que te diviertas.That's great! Have fun.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry qué pasa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasa, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
