qué pasa
/ˌke ˈpasa/
The English phrase 'what is happening' can be translated into Spanish as qué pasa.
While qué pasa can literally mean 'what is happening', it is most commonly used as an informal greeting similar to 'What's up?'
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what) and pasa (happens/passes).
Which one should you use?
Use qué pasa? as a casual greeting. For more formal situations, you should use ¿Qué está sucediendo? or ¿Qué ocurre?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿Qué pasa? is an informal way to say 'what is happening' or 'what's up?' You should avoid using it in highly formal settings, such as a job interview or when addressing a superior.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to ask specifically about a continuous action currently in progress, such as when you see a commotion, the progressive form ¿Qué está pasando? is more precise.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌke ˈpasa/
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with ¿Qué pasa?, a common response is Nada (Nothing) or No pasa nada (Nothing is happening/No problem).
Did you know?
- The word pasa is a homonym in Spanish. While it means 'happens' in this phrase, it also means 'raisin' because it comes from the Latin word for a 'spread grape'.
- In Mexico, people often use qué onda as a substitute for qué pasa, which literally translates to 'what wave'.
- While qué pasa is usually a friendly greeting, a change in tone can turn it into a confrontational phrase meaning 'What's your problem?'
Examples in context
- ¿Qué pasa?What is happening?This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting qué pasa.Tatoeba #461060 by Shishir, translation #25310 by CK
- Buenos días, señor. ¿Qué está sucediendo en la reunión hoy?Good morning, sir. What is happening in the meeting today?
- ¿Qué pasa, amigo?What's happening, friend?
- Hola, ¿qué pasa por aquí?Hi, what is happening around here?
Example conversation
Javier and María run into each other on the street.
- Javier¡Hola, María! ¿Qué pasa?Hi, María! What's happening?
- MaríaNada nuevo, solo voy al cine.Nothing new, I'm just going to the cinema.
- Javier¡Qué bien! Diviértete mucho.That's great! Have a lot of fun.
- MaríaGracias, Javier. ¡Nos vemos!Thanks, Javier. See you!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry qué pasa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pasa, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
