qué es
/ke es/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'what is' is translated into Spanish as qué es.
Use qué es when you want to ask for the definition or the identity of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the interrogative pronoun qué (what) and the third-person singular form of the verb ser (to be).
Which one should you use?
Use qué es to ask for a definition or the identity of something, rather than qué hay which means 'what is there'. If you want to ask for a detailed explanation of the essence or nature of something, you can also use ¿En qué consiste?
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the question form of 'what is' requires an opening inverted question mark at the beginning of the sentence: ¿Qué es…?
How do you pronounce it?
/ke es/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid. This is the same root that gives English the phrase 'quid pro quo'.
- In Spanish, using qué es to ask about a person is often considered incorrect or dehumanizing. To ask 'what is that' when referring to a person, speakers use quién es meaning 'who is'.
- While qué es asks for a definition, Spanish has a unique way of asking 'what is happening' using qué pasa. This phrase is so common it is used as a general greeting similar to 'what's up'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué es un dios?What is a god?Tatoeba #1334162 by Shishir, translation #1284782 by Vortarulo
- ¿Qué es el arte?What is art?Tatoeba #1711142 by marcelostockle, translation #1532239 by Spamster
- ¿Qué es esa cosa?What is that thing?Tatoeba #619649 by Shishir, translation #619646 by ulyssemc1
- ¿Qué es la economía?What is economics?
- ¿Cuál es la capital de Francia?What is the capital of France?
- ¿Qué es esto?What is this?
- ¿En qué consiste el juego?What does the game consist of?
- 188 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a strange object on a table.
- María¿Qué es esto, Javier?What is this, Javier?
- JavierNo lo sé, María.I don't know, María.
- María¿Qué es ese objeto?What is that object?
- JavierParece una pieza de metal.It looks like a piece of metal.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
