¿qué dices?
The English phrase "what do you say?" can be translated into Spanish as ¿qué dices?
This phrase is an informal question used to ask for someone's opinion. It can also be used to express surprise or disbelief at something a person has just said, functioning colloquially as "what are you talking about?" when someone says something nonsensical or surprising.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative pronoun qué (what) and the second-person singular present indicative of decir (to say or tell).
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué dices? can mean "what do you say?" to request an opinion, it is very frequently used to mean "what are you saying?" to express confusion or disbelief at a statement.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the phrase in a formal context, replace the informal dices with the formal dice usted to form ¿Qué dice usted?
Did you know?
- Although ¿qué dices? is the literal translation, if you are surprised by a shocking piece of news, a native speaker might instead exclaim ¡No me digas!, which means 'don't tell me'.
- While ¿qué dices? asks for an opinion, Spanish speakers often use the phrase ¿cómo lo ves? (literally 'how do you see it?') to achieve the exact same social goal.
- The word qué shares a common ancestor with the English word 'what', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷid.
Examples in context
- Señor García, quiero revisar este informe. ¿Qué dice usted?Mr. García, I want to review this report. What do you say?
- ¿Qué dices, Juan? ¿Vamos al cine el viernes?What do you say, Juan? Shall we go to the movies on Friday?
- No entiendo, ¿qué dices?I don't understand, what are you saying?
- ¡¿Qué dices?! No te creo.What are you saying?! I don't believe you.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are discussing a new movie-watching idea.
- JavierVamos al cine esta noche, ¿qué dices?Let's go to the movies tonight, what do you say?
- ElenaMe parece un plan excelente, Javier.It sounds like an excellent plan, Javier.
- JavierEntonces, te paso a buscar a las ocho.Then, I will pick you up at eight.
- ElenaPerfecto, allí estaré.Perfect, I will be there.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
