¿Cuál es la diferencia?
The English phrase "what is the difference" is translated into Spanish as ¿Cuál es la diferencia?
Use this phrase to ask about the way in which two or more things are not the same.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Which is the difference?" because cuál is used to select one specific difference from a set of possibilities.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask about multiple differences, you must change both the interrogative pronoun and the noun to their plural forms: ¿Cuáles son las diferencias?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ¿Qué es la diferencia? instead of ¿Cuál es la diferencia? when asking "what is the difference". In Spanish, when asking to identify a specific characteristic or item among others, cuál is the correct choice.
Did you know?
- The word es in this phrase is a direct cognate of the Sanskrit word अस्ति, as both evolved from the same ancient root for 'to be'.
- The Spanish word diferencia shares a Latin root with the English word 'defer', because both terms originally relate to the act of carrying something away from another.
- While ¿Cuál es la diferencia? asks for the distinction, Spanish speakers often use the phrase ¿En qué se diferencian? to ask 'In what do they differ?', which changes the focus from the difference itself to the act of differing.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es la diferencia?What is the difference?This example shows how to use the phrase ¿Cuál es la diferencia?Tatoeba #523746 by Shishir, translation #3446739 by pauldhunt
- ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre estos dos productos?What is the difference between these two products?
- ¿En qué se diferencian las políticas actuales de las anteriores?What is the difference between the current policies and the previous ones?
Example conversation
Javier and Lucia are looking at two similar shirts in a store.
- JavierMira estas camisas, parecen iguales.Look at these shirts, they look the same.
- LucíaNo, mira el cuello. ¿Cuál es la diferencia?No, look at the collar. What is the difference?
- JavierEsta es de algodoón y la otra es sintótica.This one is cotton and the other is synthetic.
- LucíaAh, ya veo. Gracias, Javier.Oh, I see. Thanks, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuál, diferencia, es, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
