¿qué hay de cena?
/ˈke ˈai de ˈθena/word by word
The English phrase 'what is for dinner?' is translated into Spanish as ¿qué hay de cena?
This phrase is used to ask what food will be served for the evening meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'what is there of dinner?'
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué hay de cena? is a standard way to ask the question, you may also encounter ¿qué hay para cenar? which uses 'para' instead of 'de' to express the same idea.
How does it change in a sentence?
A common and natural variation is to replace the noun cena (dinner) with the infinitive verb cenar (to eat dinner), resulting in ¿qué hay de cenar?, which means 'what is there to eat for dinner?'
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈai de ˈθena/
Did you know?
- The word cena shares an ancient root with the English word 'corner', both coming from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to cut'. This reflects the historical idea of a 'portion' of food being cut out for a meal.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, 'la cena' might be eaten much later in the evening than an English speaker's dinner, sometimes as late as 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM.
- While cena is the evening meal, many people in Spain eat their largest meal of the day during comida in the afternoon, making cena a lighter affair.
Examples in context
- Ante un menú tan variado, ¿qué se sirve para la cena esta noche?With such a diverse menu, what is served for dinner tonight?
- ¿Podría indicarme cuál es el menú para la cena esta noche?Could you please inform me of the dinner menu for tonight?
- Me gustaría saber qué platos se ofrecen para la cena.I would like to know what dishes are offered for dinner.
- Hola mamá, ¿qué hay de cena hoy?Hi mom, what's for dinner tonight?
- Chicos, ¿qué vamos a cenar hoy?Guys, what are we having for dinner today?
- ¿Cuál es el menú de la noche, amigos?What's on the evening menu, friends?
- Mamá, ¿qué hay de cena?Mom, what is for dinner?
Example conversation
María arrives home and asks Alejandro about the meal.
- MaríaHola, Alejandro. ¿Qué hay de cena?Hi, Alejandro. What is for dinner?
- AlejandroVoy a cocinar pasta.I am going to cook pasta.
- María¡Qué bien! Me encanta la pasta.Great! I love pasta.
- AlejandroEntonces, lava tus manos ahora.Then, wash your hands now.
