qué tipo
/ke tipo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what kind" is translated into Spanish as qué tipo.
qué tipo is a phrase used to ask for more specific information about the category or characteristics of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what) and tipo (type/kind).
Which one should you use?
While qué tipo is very common, qué clase is a frequent synonym used to mean the same thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When followed by a noun, qué tipo is almost always paired with the preposition de to mean "what kind of".
How do you pronounce it?
/ke tipo/
Did you know?
- While qué tipo is common, the word tipo can also be used in many Spanish-speaking countries as a slang term for 'guy' or 'fellow'.
- The word tipo comes from the Ancient Greek word túpos, which originally meant a 'mark' or 'blow' from someone poking or striking something.
- In Spanish, the word tipo can also refer to a specific style of typography or a printing character.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué tipo de planta es?What kind of plant is it?This sentence is useful for asking about the species of a plant using qué tipo.Tatoeba #1625149 by wallebot, translation #1625139 by Shishir
- ¿Qué tipo de vino tienes?What kind of wine do you have?This sentence is useful for asking about available varieties of wine using qué tipo.Tatoeba #6672125 by UsuarioX, translation #36679 by CK
- ¿Qué tipo de champú usas?What kind of shampoo do you use?This sentence is useful for asking about a person's choice of shampoo using qué tipo.Tatoeba #6672426 by UsuarioX, translation #4671700 by ghostbane
- ¿Cuál es la especie de esta planta?What is the species of this plant?
- ¿Qué tipo de comida te gusta?What kind of food do you like?
- ¿De qué clase de películas eres fanático?What kind of movies are you a fan of?
- 94 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are at a bookstore.
- Mateo¿Qué tipo de libros buscas, Elena?What kind of books are you looking for, Elena?
- ElenaBusco novelas de misterio.I am looking for mystery novels.
- MateoEn este pasillo hay muchas.There are many in this aisle.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo, iré a ver.Thanks, Mateo, I will go look.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, tipo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
