How to Say “What” in Spanish

Ways to say it

The word 'what' can be translated in several ways depending on the context. Use qué to ask for a definition or when 'what' is followed by a noun. It is also used in many common phrases, such as ¿Qué tal? to mean 'What's up?' or 'How is it going?' and ¿Qué dices? to ask 'What are you saying?' In certain Latin American countries, ¿Qué onda? is a common informal way to say 'What's up?'

Which one should you use?

There is a distinction between qué and cuál. In contrast, use cuál when you are choosing from a specific set of options or asking 'which one'.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The way you use 'what' changes with social context. In customer service, the phrase ¿En qué puedo servirle? is a polite, formal way to ask 'How may I assist you?' Conversely, ¿Qué dices? and ¿Qué tal? are informal and used among friends or people of a similar age. Using only the word ¿Qué? to ask someone to repeat themselves is considered blunt or even rude in many Spanish-speaking contexts.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In some Latin American countries, the phrase ¿Qué onda? is used informally to mean 'What's up?'

Related words

Beginning an exclamation (det): menudo, vaya, (pero) qué.

Come again (intj): ¿qué?

How does it change in a sentence?

When used as an interrogative pronoun in a question, qué must always carry an accent mark.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈke/

When do people say it?

The phrase ¿Y a mí qué? is a common idiomatic way to express indifference or to say 'Why should I care?' or 'So what?'