¿cuál es tu
¿cuál es tu is the Spanish phrase for "what is your".
This phrase is used to begin a question when seeking a specific piece of information about a person, such as their age, plan or dream. In this context, the word cuál is used rather than qué because the question asks the listener to identify one specific item from a set of possible answers.
Did you know?
- Although ¿cuál es tu nombre? is grammatically correct for 'what is your name', a native speaker will almost always use ¿cómo te llamas?, which literally translates as 'how do you call yourself'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you ask someone ¿cuál es tu… using the informal tu when meeting an elder or a superior, it can be perceived as a lack of education or a sign of disrespect.
- If you accidentally use qué instead of cuál in this phrase, you might change the meaning from asking for information to asking for a definition. Using qué can make it sound like you are asking 'what is the essence of your…' rather than 'what is your…'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es tu edad?What is your age?This example shows how to ask for someone's age using ¿cuál es tu.Tatoeba #1469844 by marcelostockle, translation #389935 by blay_paul
- ¿Cuál es tu plan?What is your plan?This example shows how to ask for someone's plan using ¿cuál es tu.Tatoeba #2024488 by Shishir, translation #2648237 by CK
- ¿Cuál es tu sueño?What is your dream?This example shows how to ask for someone's dream using ¿cuál es tu.Tatoeba #2089016 by marcelostockle, translation #1854012 by drjuly
- Buenos días. ¿Cuál es su nombre?Good morning. What is your name?
- Disculpe, ¿cuál es su profesión?Excuse me, what is your profession?
- ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?Hi! What is your name?
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are at a coffee shop discussing a new project.
- Elena¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?What is your phone number?
- DanielEs el 555-0123.It is 555-0123.
- ElenaGracias, Daniel.Thanks, Daniel.
- DanielDe nada, Elena.You're welcome, Elena.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
