¿Qué hice?
The Spanish phrase for "what did i do?" is ¿Qué hice?
What does it mean word for word?
The breakdown of ¿Qué hice? is as follows: qué means "what", hice is the first-person singular preterite form of hacer (to do/make) and the question marks indicate a query.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may also use ¿Qué he hecho? or ¿Qué es lo que he hecho? to ask "What did I do?"
Did you know?
- The Spanish word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which is also the root of the English expression 'quid pro quo'.
- The verb hacer can be used impersonally to describe the weather, such as hace frío for 'it is cold', though it cannot be used this way in the phrase ¿Qué hice?
- In some Latin American cultures, saying ¿Qué hice? with a rising intonation can be a playful way to feign innocence during a joke rather than a genuine question.
Examples in context
- Señor, disculpe si cometí un error. ¿Qué hice?Excuse me if I made a mistake. What did I do?
- Oye, ¿por qué estás tan callado? ¿Qué hice?Hey, why are you so quiet? What did I do?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are arguing in the kitchen.
- Alejandro¡No entiendo tu enfado!I don't understand why you are angry!
- LucíaEstás muy distraído hoy.You are very distracted today.
- Alejandro¿Qué hice?What did I do?
- LucíaMe dejaste hablando sola.You left me talking to myself.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hice, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
