¿qué demonios es eso?
The English phrase "what the hell is that?" is expressed in Spanish as ¿qué demonios es eso?
This phrase is used to express shock, confusion or annoyance at an object or situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built literally from qué (what), demonios (demons), es (is) and eso (that).
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué demonios es eso? is a standard way to express the sentiment, you can also say ¿qué diablos es eso? by using diablos (devils) instead of demonios. For a slightly softer, less aggressive way to express the same sentiment, you can use ¿qué rayos es eso?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms ¿qué carajo es eso?, ¿qué mierda es eso? and ¿qué demonios es eso? are all informal. The form ¿qué rayos es eso? is also informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations include ¿qué diablos es eso? in Latin America, ¿qué cojones es eso? and ¿qué narices es eso? in Spain and ¿qué chingados es eso? in Mexico.
Did you know?
- In Spain, you might hear someone use narices, meaning 'noses', to express the same shock. It functions as a mild, humorous euphemism for more vulgar terms.
- The Mexican variation ¿qué chingados es eso? uses a verb with dozens of different meanings, ranging from 'to break' and 'to steal' to 'to work hard'.
- The word qué is a direct descendant of the Latin word quid, which is also the root of the English legal term 'quid pro quo'.
Examples in context
- ¡Oye! ¿Qué diablos es eso?Hey! What the hell is that?
- ¡Wow! ¿Qué carajo es eso?Wow! What the hell is that?
- ¡Amigo! ¿Qué mierda es eso?Dude! What the hell is that?
- ¡Mira eso! ¿Qué demonios es eso?Look at that! What the hell is that?
Example conversation
María and Mateo are looking at a strange object in the attic.
- MaríaMateo, mira este objeto. ¿Qué demonios es eso?Mateo, look at this object. What the hell is that?
- MateoNo tengo idea, María. Parece muy viejo.I have no idea, María. It looks very old.
- MaríaSe mueve solo. ¡Qué miedo!It's moving on its own. How scary!
- MateoMejor dejemos eso ahí y nos vamos.Better leave that there and let's go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, eso, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
