¿qué pasa?
/ˈke ˈpasa/word by word
In Spanish, "what's up?" is translated as ¿qué pasa?
¿qué pasa? is an informal phrase used as a greeting to say hello or as a genuine question to ask what is happening in a specific situation. Depending on the tone used, it can sometimes imply that something is wrong or that something unusual is occurring.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ¿qué pasa? translates to "what passes?" in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿qué pasa? is informal and should be avoided in professional or highly formal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈpasa/
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to ¿qué pasa? is Nada. (Nothing).
Did you know?
- The word pasa in the phrase shares an ancestor with the English word 'raisin'. It comes from the Latin word for 'spread grape', which refers to the process of drying fruit.
- In Mexico, people often use ¿qué onda? instead of ¿qué pasa?, which literally asks 'what wave?'
- In Spain, ¿qué pasa? can function as a social acknowledgment where the speaker does not actually expect an answer.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía meet in a park.
- Alejandro¡Hola, Sofía! ¿Qué pasa?Hi, Sofía! What's up?
- SofíaNada especial, solo caminando.Nothing special, just walking.
- AlejandroQué bien, yo también estoy libre.That's good, I am free too.
- SofíaPerfecto, ¿vamos por un café?Perfect, shall we go for a coffee?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qué, pasa) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasa, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
