qué
/ˈke/
The English word "what" can be translated to Spanish using qué or cuál.
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| qué | /ˈke/ |
| cuál | /ˈkwal/ |
qué is an interrogative pronoun used to mean "what". It can also be used to start an exclamation using the forms menudo, vaya or (pero) qué. Additionally, ¿qué? can be used as an interjection to mean "come again?"
Which one should you use?
Use qué when asking for a definition or asking "what is [noun]". In contrast, use cuál when you are asking to choose from a set of options or asking "which one".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When qué is used as an interrogative adjective before a noun, it always takes the form qué regardless of the noun's gender or number.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use qué when they should use cuál when asking "what is your name" or "what is your phone number" (e.g., ¿Cuál es tu nombre?).
Did you know?
- The word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which is where English gets the word 'quid pro quo'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying ¿qué? in response to a call can sound blunt or rude. People often use ¿mande? or ¿sí? to be more polite.
- Spanish has a distinct word for 'what' when it functions as a relative pronoun in a sentence, which is que without the written accent mark.
Examples in context
- ¿Y a mí qué?So what?This example shows how to use qué in the phrase "So what?"Tatoeba #2008103 by Shishir, translation #1340 by Sbgodin
- Sé de qué va.I know what it's about.This example uses qué to express knowing what something is about.Tatoeba #5645606 by arh, translation #5636517 by CK
- ¿Qué vas a ser?What are you going to be?This example uses qué to ask about someone's future occupation.Tatoeba #1225847 by wallebot, translation #16262 by AlanF_US
- ¡Qué!What!
- 6065 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking in the living room.
- María¿Qué dijiste, Mateo?What did you say, Mateo?
- MateoDije que tengo hambre.I said that I am hungry.
- María¿Y qué quieres comer?And what do you want to eat?
- MateoCualquier cosa está bien.Anything is fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries qué, cuál, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuál, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
