¿qué eres?
The Spanish phrase for "what are you?" is ¿qué eres?
This phrase is used to inquire about an essential quality or identity, such as a person's profession, nationality or species. Because it uses the verb ser, it focuses on what a person is at their core rather than a temporary state.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué eres? asks about identity or essence, other phrases are used to inquire specifically about employment or occupation. For example, ¿A qué te dedicas? is used to ask what someone does for a living.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using ¿qué estás? to ask "what are you?" In Spanish, the verb estar is used for locations or temporary states, whereas ser is the correct verb for defining what a person is.
Did you know?
- The form eres replaced the original Latin-derived form because it sounded too similar to es, the third person singular.
- While ¿qué eres? asks for a definition, Spanish speakers use a completely different structure, ¿cómo eres?, to ask about a person's personality or physical appearance.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, asking ¿qué eres? during a conversation about politics or religion is a common way to ask about someone's ideological affiliation.
Examples in context
- Soy abogado.I am a lawyer.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eres, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
