Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| qué | /ˈke/ |
| cuál | /ˈkwal/ |
The word is used as an interrogative pronoun. You may also see related forms such as menudo, vaya or (pero) qué used to begin an exclamation. Additionally, the standalone form ¿qué? is used to mean "come again?"
Which one should you use?
While both can mean "what", use qué when asking for a definition or asking "what is [noun]". In contrast, use cuál when asking to choose from a set of options or when "what" is followed by the verb ser to ask for identity, such as asking for someone's name.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When qué is used as an interrogative pronoun or adjective, it must always carry an accent mark.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke/
When do people say it?
If you want to express surprise or disbelief, you can use the informal expression ¿En serio?, which means "What? Seriously?"
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¿qué? to a superior or elder can be seen as rude. People often use ¿mande? in Mexico or ¿cómo? elsewhere to be more polite.
- The word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin 'quid'. This is the same root that gives English the phrase 'quid pro quo', meaning 'something for something'.
- In Spanish, the accent mark on qué is not for stress, but to distinguish the interrogative 'what' from the relative pronoun 'that', which is written without the accent as que.
Examples in context
- ¿Y a mí qué?So what?This sentence is useful for the phrase "So what?" using qué.Tatoeba #2008103 by Shishir, translation #1340 by Sbgodin
- Sé de qué va.I know what it's about.This sentence is useful for the phrase "I know what it's about" using qué.Tatoeba #5645606 by arh, translation #5636517 by CK
- ¿Qué vas a ser?What are you going to be?This sentence is useful for the question "What are you going to be?" using qué.Tatoeba #1225847 by wallebot, translation #16262 by AlanF_US
- ¿Qué dijo?What did he/she say?
- ¿Qué vas a hacer hoy?What are you going to do today?
- ¿Cómo así?What do you mean?
- 6065 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are in a cafe and Sofía is surprised by a piece of news.
- Alejandro¿Qué te dijo ella?What did she tell you?
- SofíaQue nos vamos de viaje.That we are going on a trip.
- Alejandro¡¿Qué?! ¡No te lo puedo creer!What?! I can't believe it!
- SofíaEs verdad, Alejandro.It's true, Alejandro.
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.
